A Stranger In The Woods
by katiesue
Summary: LEGOLAS! CAUTION: This story is a Legomance and Marysue. Don't say you weren't warned. Woman finds herself in M.E. and happens upon the Prince himself...
1. Chapter 1: A stranger in the woods

A Stranger In The Woods

WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS STORY IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: MARY-SUE, LEGO-MANCE, TENTH WALKER or ROMANCE. SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE: SENDING FLAMES NOBODY WANTS TO READ, BEING A JERK, SENDING FLAMES DISGUISED AS CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM.

DON'T SAY YOU WEREN'T WARNED

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CHAPTER ONE:

"Greaaaaat," sighed Katherine Bennett, drawing out the word as she plopped down into the soft grass. It was official: she was lost. She pulled her backpack off her shoulder and threw it down beside her. Her legs screamed with exhaustion, she had been hiking all day. Katie knew she should have stopped hours ago, but she kept hoping to find her campsite.

"Hell, any campsite," she muttered, mentally kicking herself for getting into this mess.

She took a moment to scan her surroundings, and felt a shiver of dread go through her body. The woods looked different from before; darker, and scarier. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she realized that someone was watching her. Panic hit her full force and she jumped to her feet, glancing around nervously.

"Hello is someone there?" she whispered, her fear mounting.

A movement to her left caught her eye, but when she turned to look nothing was there. She listened closely, but the only sounds she heard were the leaves rustling in the treetops. No birds, no insects, just the wind blowing and her heart pounding in her chest. She closed her eyes and wished she could go back in time and start the day over again.

When she opened her eyes and looked around but nothing had changed. She was still lost.

Just then a twig snapped to her left. She whipped her head around and felt her breath catch in her throat. A tall and slight man with long blonde hair stood not even ten feet away. He had a bow and a notched arrow pointed directly at her.

Katie stood there, unable to move. Unable to take her eyes off him. Her mind screamed for her to run, but her legs refused to work. The bluest eyes she'd ever seen stared back at her, burning into hers.

'_What will he do?_' she wondered, terrified. '_Rape me? Kill me? Rob me?_'

"I don't have any money," she said quietly, unable to stop the tremor in her voice. The man frowned at her.

"What are you doing in these woods?" he asked. Katie was surprised at his voice, soft and gentle like a song; nothing at all like the ice in his eyes. She glanced over him, finally taking a moment to study his odd appearance. He was dressed in greens and browns, his clothes fitting snugly against him. He had on what appeared to be tights and dark brown boots that nearly went to his knees. His blonde hair was long and beautiful. '_Unreal_' she thought, amazed. His face was flawless, handsome, almost ageless. '_He looks just like Legolas from The Lord of The Rings_' she realized dizzily.

'_What the heck is going on here?_' She wondered, feeling panicked. She took a step back as he neared.

"Don't move," he demanded in the same silky voice.

"People are looking for me," she lied. Doubt flickered behind his eyes.

"There is no one around for miles." He stated. "What are you doing in these woods?"

Katie took a deep breath and decided to run for it. She turned and sprinted as fast as she could away from the man, leaving her bag on the ground. She hadn't gotten 10 feet when a strong hand grabbed her arm, forcing her to a stop. She turned and looked up at him, surprised at his quickness. He was a good 5 inches taller than she was, and his presence was intimidating to say the least.

"I am going to ask you once more, what are you doing in these woods?"

Katie looked him straight in the eye, and decided the truth was always the best answer.

"I'm lost," she admitted. "I was hiking and I somehow wondered off the trail…Please don't kill me," she added breathlessly.

He studied her for a minute, seemingly judging her story. He slowly released her arm and took a step back.

"What is your name?" he asked finally.

Katie let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. _'He isn't going to kill me'_ she realized happily. "Katherine Bennett, but everyone calls me Katie."

"Katie?" He repeated slowly, acting like it was an unusual name. "Where are you from?"

"Kansas," she answered. She looked around and smiled. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," she said, attempting a joke. He gave her a blank look.

"The Wizard of Oz…?"

"I don't know of a Kansas," he said slowly when he realized she was waiting for a reply.

"You know, in the middle of the United States," she looked at him like he was crazy. He looked down at the ground for the first time, as if lost.

"I know no United States," he replied.

'_He doesn't know the United States,_' Katie thought wildly. Maybe he escaped out of a loony bin.

"Let me guess," she said with a sarcastic laugh, "We're in Middle Earth."

It was Katie's turn to receive a strange look. "Yes" he answered, speaking to her like she was a child.

"And YOU must be Prince Legolas," she continued with another laugh, slightly annoyed at the way he was staring at her.

He gasped in shock. "How do you know who I am?" He demanded sharply.

Katie decided to play along. "I've seen Lord of the Rings a hundred times. I must say,

I've always wanted to meet you, and Aragorn."

He cut her off. "You know Aragorn?" he asked surprised.

Katie grinned. "I don't know him personally, but I'd like to."

He studied her with a frown. "Maybe I was meant to find you Lady Bennett," he decided softly, almost inaudibly.

He quickly walked over, grabbed her backpack off the ground, and returned to where she was standing.

"Come with me," he demanded, grabbing her wrist.

He pulled her behind him roughly, every so often glancing back at her with a puzzled look on his face.

Katie studied him as they walked. '_He's really cute_' she thought with a sly smile. She glanced up at the back of his head and stopped dead in her tracks. His ears were pointed.

He turned to look at her. "Why did you stop?"

"Your ears..." she whispered in disbelief. "They're pointed."

He shot her another crazy look.

"Of course they are. I am an Elf….did you not know of this? You seem to know everything else," annoyance dripped from his voice.

'_Oh crap_,' she realized suddenly. '_He really _is_ Legolas. I really _am_ in Middle Earth_.'

"Are we in Mirkwood?" she asked quietly as they began to walk again.

He stopped and frowned down at her. "No, we are outside of Rivendell."

"Are you on your way to the council?" she asked boldly.

He appeared startled. "You know of the council?"

"Of course, the Ring will be presented and everyone will start arguing," she said matter-of-factly.

He interrupted her. "We will talk about this once we have determined if you are a spy."

He said sternly, and roughly pulled her along.

'_A spy?_' Katie thought, feeling confused. '_He thinks I'm a SPY?_' she thought indignantly.

This was excessively bizarre. '_And who is he talking about when he said WE will determine if you are a spy_?' she wondered.

Five minutes later, Katie found her answer.

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a/n: So, it's finally here! My new story! Please review and tell me what you think. A huge thanks to The Hobbit Ivy, my beloved beta! I couldn't have done it w/out you!

I will be trying to put a brief author's note following every chapter to answer questions and such. One thing I would like to explain is that Legolas heard Katie speaking to herself before he made his presence known, and so that's why he didn't speak to her in elvish.

I really hope everyone enjoys this story. It's gonna be a long one, so buckle up!


	2. Chapter 2: The group

**A Stranger in the Woods **

**Chapter Two: The Group**

They came upon a group of elves on horseback as they reached a clearing in the woods. The longhaired elves turned and grew quiet as they approached. Katie stopped a good distance away and surveyed the men suspiciously. She counted them- five elves. Including Legolas, six. '_Six against one,_' she thought as fear churned in her stomach. She wasn't even convinced yet that she was in Middle Earth, or that Legolas was actually who he said he was.

'_Although he does look a lot like him_' she decided. Not exactly like the Legolas from the movie, but enough that it made her take a second glance. This Legolas looked older, and yet younger, if that was possible. He was better looking than in the movies. '_He's real_' she suddenly understood. That was why he looked different, because he was real, and really standing in front of her, looking quite annoyed.

"Stay here" he ordered and walked towards the men. The elves dismounted as he neared and stood in a small circle, speaking quietly in what Katie assumed was Elvish.

Whatever language it was, she decided it sounded beautiful, almost like a song.

A handsome blonde elf spoke briefly, but Legolas interrupted him, sounding angry. Katie wondered what they were saying. She realized that if they were actually in Middle Earth then her appearance would come as quite a shock to them. She had on blue jeans and hiking boots, something she doubted they had ever seen before. She smiled to herself, finding the thought amusing.

She noticed that the blonde elf was studying her quite intently and took a cautious step back as he approached her.

"Hello" he said with a slight smile, "I am Lenwë."

"I'm Katie" she replied cautiously.

"I know. My brother has told us about your meeting."

Katie felt her eyes widen. "Brother?" she asked stunned, as Legolas walked towards them. Nothing had ever been mentioned in the books or the movie about Legolas having a brother. Of course, neither had they said that he _didn't_ have one she realized. She glanced from Legolas to Lenwë and back again, looking for similarities. '_They're both cute_' she thought with a grin. Lenwë was an inch or two shorter than Legolas, and reminded her of Haldir.

Legolas interrupted his brother's reply with an irritated look.

"You will ride with us to Rivendell." He ordered, grabbing her arm firmly and pulling her towards the horses.

Katie obeyed, feeling helpless, as the other elves mounted their horses and began to ride away.

Legolas led her over to an unsattled white horse then paused to look back at her.

"Can you ride?" he asked curiously. She nodded in reply. "Then you will ride with me," he stated as he stood there, waiting. When he spoke to her, it wasn't in a very nice tone of voice, however melodic his voice was.

"There's no saddle." She pointed out. She had only ridden bareback several times and was not sure she could get on the horse by herself.

Legolas looked up, realized her problem, then reached down and grabbed her around the waist.

"Wait," she whispered nervously. "What's going to happen to me?"

Realization dawned in his eyes and his face grew softer. He lowered his head slightly until it was mere inches away. There chests were so close they were practically touching.

Katie found herself unable to breathe. Her heart started to race in her chest and she could feel his soft breath on her cheek. No man had ever had this strong an effect on her before. Her knees actually felt weak, and she was quite glad he had a hold of her.

'_I thought that was just a dumb saying teenagers came up with'_ she thought lightheaded. Heavens knew she was not a teenager. She was nearly twenty-six years old. Still, she found herself wanting to lean her mouth into his and find out what his lips would feel like; what they would taste like.

He spoke suddenly, breaking her thoughts. "No harm will come to you." He said in his hypnotizing voice. Then he lifted her onto the horse, and the moment was broken.

He gracefully swung himself in front of her, and nudged the horse lightly. Katie had to grab Legolas around the waist to keep herself from falling off the back. She noticed he was all muscle beneath his tunic, and after she steadied herself, quickly let go.

She tried to think of something to say- something to distract her from being so close to him.

"This is a beautiful horse," She tried.

He didn't answer, or turn towards her. '_He's not much of a talker,_' she thought with a frown.

"What where you guys talking about for so long?" she asked after a long silence.

He glanced back at her. "We had to decide if we should take you to Rivendell with us."

After a pause, he added "There is an elf there who will know better than we what to do with you."

"You mean Elrond?"

Legolas tried to hide his surprise unsuccessfully. "You know Elrond as well," he said plainly. "You are full of surprises Lady Bennett."

He turned back around, bringing the conversation to a halt.

Katie sighed and decided to take this opportunity to study him closely. He had a bow and quiver strapped on his back, both where covered in beautiful, intricate designs. Two white knife handles stuck out by his arrows. She noticed his hair was thickly braided in the back. It looked perfect. She studied his hair in fascination- it was so long and soft. '_I wonder if it is_,' she thought, and reached out and rubbed a few between her fingers. It was the softest hair she had ever felt.

She saw him stiffen and quickly stopped. They rode in silence for many miles, Katie feeling too exhausted to try starting another conversation. She yawned loudly; it had been a long, crazy day. Legolas glanced back at her as she yawned again.

"You may rest against me if you wish Lady Bennett" he said abruptly, and turned back around.

"Call me Katie or Katherine, Prince Legolas. Or should I call you Greenleaf?"

"How did you" he started then stopped. "Very well Katherine." He said icily. "If you do not wish to rest than I will not force you."

"I wish to rest, Prince" she snapped back "I just don't think it would be too comfortable with your knives and arrows against my face."

Katie knew she sounded bitchy, but was too tired to care. Wordlessly, Legolas removed his quiver and knives and placed them in his lap. His bow he held in front of him. He did this all without glancing back at her.

Katie rolled her eyes and warily laid her head against his back. Some of his hair tickled her face, and she realized it smelled great too!

'_What kind of shampoo does he use_?' she wondered curiously as she brushed his hair to the side. She then realized that elves probably didn't _have _shampoo, so she spent the following minutes speculating what smelled like it back home.

His clothes were soft and warm against her cheek. He smelled earthy and fresh, like the ground does after it rains.

Katie put her arms gently around his waist and felt him stiffen at her touch. After a moment he relaxed, and she felt her eyelids getting heavy. '_I hope I don't snore_' she thought drowsily before she drifted off to sleep.

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A/N

Lenwë is pronounced Lynn-way

Alright everybody, let me know how you liked chapter 2.

I'm hoping to update once a week, depending on how fast I can type and The Hobbit Ivy (my beautiful beta) can get the chapters back to me. THANKS IVY!

If anyone has any questions about anything just leave an review or e-mail me. Thanks, Katie-sue


	3. Chapter 3: The ride to Rivendell

**A Stranger In The Woods **

**Chapter 3: The Ride to Rivendell**

Legolas looked down at the woman's arms around his waist. Her face was pressed up against his back and she was breathing evenly.

'_It sure took her no time at all to fall asleep,_' he thought with a little smile.

Lenwë trotted up beside him. "What do you find so amusing brother?" he asked teasingly.

Legolas shot him a dirty look and did not dignify the question with a response.

"She is rather odd, but fetching in a way- don't you agree," Lenwë continued with a grin. One of his favorite hobbies was finding ways to annoy his elder brother.

"I had not noticed," Legolas lied. Lenwë just gave him a knowing look, and rode back up front.

In truth, he found her puzzling. Nothing about her made sense, from her strange clothes to her manner of speech. She made him uneasy, a feeling he did not much care for.

Just then the city of Rivendell came into view, nestled among the trees. Legolas smiled- it was just as he remembered.

He had a sudden urge to wake the woman and show her. '_Why should I care if she sees this?_' he wondered with a frown.

'_Still, it is time for her to wake,_' Legolas decided. He turned his body towards her- her head drooped against his chest. He shook her lightly, calling her name. Nothing happened. He said her name louder. Still nothing. Legolas frowned and shook her roughly. "Lady Bennett," he said loudly. "Katherine."

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Katie awoke suddenly, realizing someone was calling her name. She sat up quickly and realized she was still on the horse, and about to fall off.

A strong arm grasped her waist to steady her.

"It's about time you woke up," Legolas scowled down at her.

"Sorr-rry" she muttered under her breath, wondering what was so important it couldn't wait.

Legolas let go of her waist and turned back around. "Look," he nodded toward the beautiful Elven city.

Katie looked up and gasped as her eyes took in the city. '_It's even more beautiful than the movies make it out to be,_' she realized in awe. She tried to take in all the sights around her and store them in her memory as they made their way down the winding paths.

It wasn't long before they rode under the arches to the entrance of the city. Immediately, Legolas dismounted and scanned his surroundings. He turned back towards her, and pulled her off the horse without asking.

Wordlessly, he set her on her feet and walked over to a group of elves, leaving her standing by herself. Katie looked around and suddenly felt lost. '_I'm surrounded by beautiful, surreal buildings, strange men and elves, and yet I am completely alone._'

The realization struck her to the core. She didn't know anyone here, and no one acted as if they wanted anything to do with her. She had daydreamed a few times what it would be like to come to Middle Earth and meet all the people, but she had never pictured it this way. Now she wished she were back home in bed, curling up with a good book and a cup of tea.

Lenwë touched her shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts. "I have asked that a room be prepared for you." It took a moment for his words to sink in.

"So…they said I could stay?" Katie was half convinced they would throw her out.

Lenwë looked taken aback. "Of course they did. It is unlike elves to turn down someone in need."

"Great," Katie muttered moodily. "Now I'm a charity case." Lenwë just gave her a puzzled smile and kept talking as if he had not heard.

"I will show you to your room if you like, Lady Bennett. By the time we arrive there, I am sure they will have everything prepared for you."

Katie just shrugged and took his pre-offered arm. She noticed Legolas glancing their way as they walked past. His expression was unreadable. Before she could even blink, he had turned back around and was conversing with another elf.

'_Men_' Katie thought with a huff as she allowed Lenwë to lead her through the trees and buildings. 'Of course, technically, Legolas is an elf,' she rationalized.

She found that she was rather disappointed to find that elves where just as aggravating, if not more, than humans. She hoped that Elves were better the men she'd known before... Thus far, no luck. She couldn't judge the female elves... she hadn't met one yet.

Katie was still milling this over in her mind when Lenwë stopped in front of a door.

He looked at her expectantly. "This will be your room."

"Oh, thank goodness," she replied, the relief evident in her voice. Lenwë looked at her curiously. "From what I've seen, I was afraid you guys didn't believe in doors."

"Only for our private rooms," Lenwë said with a laugh. He turned to leave, and stopped. "After you are rested," he said softly "would you like me to show you around the city?"

Katie couldn't think of a reason not to. No one had told her what she was suppose to be doing, so she guessed going with Lenwë would be fine. "Sure. Come and get me whenever."

The handsome elf just smiled warmly at her and walked back down the long hall.

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A/N-

Alright- REVIEW! Let me know how I'm doing. How does everyone like Lenwë? The thought of Legolas having an equally hot brother was to hard to resist. Mmmmm…

Anyways, my thanks to my bountiful beta The Hobbit Ivy for her great work (even if this chapter DID take you a while). Haha. Seriously, I'd go crazy w/out you!

The next chapter will be up in LESS than a week- I promise. I have tried to describe Katie in chapter 4, so all you reviewers hopefully will be happy. Luv ya all-

Katie-sue


	4. Chapter 4: Rivendell

**A Stranger In The Woods**

WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS STORY IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: MARY-SUE, LEGO-MANCE, TENTH WALKER or ROMANCE. SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE: SENDING FLAMES NOBODY WANTS TO READ, BEING A JERK, SENDING FLAMES DISGUISED AS CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM.

THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING

**Chapter 4: Rivendell**

The first thing Katie noticed as she walked into the large, spacious room was the bed. Decorated in dark, handcarved wood, it appeared to be at least twice the size of the one in her small apartment.

"Heaven…I'm in Heaven," she sung under her breath as she studied the rest of her lodgings.

Everything was perfect. The furniture was large, but not bulky, the carvings intricate, but not overly ornate. Soft, shimmering fabric was draped over the window openings, granting privacy.

'_I could get use to this,_' Katie thought with a smile.

She spied a small door in the corner of the room, and opened it cautiously.

"A bathroom," she gasped happily, barely believing her luck. Inside was a metal bathtub, brimming with steamy water and what she assumed would be called a chamber pot.

"Praise the Lord," she muttered, stripping off her clothes as fast as she could.

After immensely enjoying a long, hot bath, Katie wrapped herself in one of the towels provided, and went in search of clean clothes.

She found what she was looking for in a small closet opposite the bed. Hanging inside were several dresses, all made with silky lightweight material of many different colors and shades. She pulled out a light blue one, and quickly slipped from her towel into the garment.

It felt wonderful as it played across her skin, soft and sensuous. She walked over to the mirror and studied her reflection.

"Not bad," she muttered, turning from side to side to get a better look. It was rather small in the front, making her chest appear bigger than it really was. The length of the dress pooled at her feet.

She took a minute to study herself- her face had high cheekbones, smooth skin, no scars or wrinkles. '_Pretty enough,_' she decided. Katie knew she had been blessed her entire life with good looks. She had always been tall enough at 5' 9" and bordered on skinny at 120 pounds. No man had ever called her a beauty, but neither had they called her a toad. Her damp hair hung down her back, curling slightly as it dried. She had dyed it several times in her teen years, but recently let it grow back out into her natural color- somewhere between blonde and brown.

Unlike other women, she had never wanted a larger chest. Men gave her enough unwanted attention with her to big for B, to small for C cup size. She had noticed that elven ladies were small chested- nobody seemed to mind.

'_I don't look half bad,_' she decided with a grin. The color of the dress highlighted the blue in her large, blue-gray eyes.

'_I wonder if Legolas will like it_.' She thought, but then pushed it to the back of her mind.

Katie scolded herself for such ideas. '_Surely an elf like him would never like a human,_' she decided. Even if she was beautiful, (which she wasn't, by her standards), elves lived forever and she would be wrinkled in twenty years. She couldn't imagine an elf as handsome as Legolas, or even Lenwë being with an old wrinkled woman.

'_No more disturbing thoughts_' she decided, and walked onto the balcony she had discovered to wait for her hair to dry.

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About a half hour later, an elf entered her room carrying a large tray of food.

"Lord Elrond asked me to bring this up to you. He hopes you find your room satisfactory, and he will talk with you tomorrow after you are rested." The woman spoke quickly, nodded a goodbye, and left.

Katie heard her stomach growl as she eyed the food, and realized she hadn't eaten for over ten hours. She was famished. She quickly finished off all the food on the tray, and was taking the final gulp of a sweet-tasting drink when she heard a knock at her door.

'_That'll be Lenwë,_' she decided, pleased at his excellent timing.

"Hello Len" she started as she swung open the door and stopped.

Legolas stood there, looking rather uncomfortable.

"OH…hi Legolas," she stammered. "I thought you were….someone else," she trailed off.

Legolas cleared his throat softly. "Were you expecting someone?"

"Uh, sort of," she muttered, wondering why he was there. Earlier, he had acted like he couldn't wait to get rid of her, and now he was standing in her doorway looking as handsome as ever.

Legolas cleared his throat again. "I just finished talking with Elrond." He looked at her expectantly.

"And?" Katie asked, wanting him to get to the point of his visit. She was starting to feel uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

"He was concerned about how you came to know so much about us and the council tomorrow."

"_He_ was concerned, or _you_ were Legolas?" Katie blurted. She was rather disappointed to realize that his only reason for stopping by was to interrogate her.

Legolas studied her for a minute, "Both," he answered honestly.

Katie sighed. "I already told you, I saw what happens in the movies. I'm not sure what else you want."

Legolas looked annoyed. "You still have not explained what this 'movies' is," he said sharply.

Katie thought for a moment. "It's like a vision," she decided, putting it in terms he could understand.

"So, you had a vision of the council meeting?"

"And everything that happens afterward," Katie added, wanting to be 100 honest.

His blue eyes clouded with doubt.

Just then, Katie spied Lenwë coming down the hall towards them, and couldn't help but sigh in relief; she wanted to get away from Legolas and his questions.

Legolas turned to see what caught her attention, and frowned at his brother.

"Good evening, Katie," Lenwë smiled, and then turned to Legolas. "What brings you here, brother?"

"Nothing. I was just leaving," Legolas replied curtly. He looked at her as if he wanted to ask something else. "You will meet with Elrond after the council tomorrow, and we will talk more." He stated, almost like an order, then turned and walked away.

"What did he want?" Lenwë asked Katie once Legolas was out of earshot.

Katie shrugged. "Who knows?"

Lenwë just smiled and held out his arm. "Ready?"

Katie took his offered arm and allowed him to lead her outside. Inside, she was as confused as ever.

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A/N:

Alright- what did everyone think of my description of Katie? Oh, and to all the reviewers who asked- Katie finds it easier to talk to Lenwë because she's not attracted to him (like that). Now you have to ask yourself- why does Legolas find it so difficult to talk to Katie? Could it be for the same reason? I guess you'll have to read more and find out! I know, I know, I'm hopeless.

Thanks to my bedazzling beta The Hobbit Ivy for all her hard work. Hope you like it. And please EVERYONE review, review, review!

Katie-sue


	5. Chapter 5: A meeting in the gardens

A Stranger In The Woods

Chapter 5: A Meeting in the Gardens

The sun was just beginning to set as they walked outside, casting a pinkish hue on the trees and surrounding buildings. Katie tried to pay close attention to what Lenwë was saying and showing her, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Legolas.

'_Why did he seek me out, and why, why, why does he always have to look so damn good?'_ she wondered in frustration.

If Lenwë noticed her lack of attention, he was too polite to bring it up. He continued to lead her through the many gardens, and even introduced her to several elves they met along the way.

The light faded completely from the sky and Katie found herself growing tired. After yawning several times in Lenwë's face, he finally took the hint and began walking her back to her room.

They were just starting to circle back when Katie spied two elves walking towards them. She recognized them at once. Elrond and Arwen. They both possessed striking poise and grace. Arwen's beauty was something that all three of the movies had failed to capture.

'_It's no wonder Aragorn fell in love with her'_, Katie thought with a small smile.

The elves drew closer and spoke a few words of greetings to Lenwë. Elrond turned to her and seemed to size her up in record time. "You must be Lady Bennett," he said with a warm smile. "I have heard much about you and your…strange claims."

Katie felt a prick of irritation at his tone. Why was it that nobody believed her? "You must be Lord Elrond," she countered with a polite nod. "And, I've told only the truth. I can see the future of the Fellowship."

Katie noticed the astounded look on his face and decided she needed to work on knowing when to hold her tongue.

"The fellowship?" Elrond questioned, sounding only mildly curious.

"You know the group you'll send to destroy the ring: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf….oh, and Boromir." She added, nearly forgetting the man.

Both Elves looked surprised. Arwen spoke first.

"You know Aragorn?" she asked, her voice, Katie noticed, was even more ethereal than in the movies.

"I know he's yours," Katie spoke bluntly. Sometimes, she really had no control what came out of her mouth. Being in Middle Earth seemed to bring out that quality even more.

Arwen looked down, seemingly embarrassed. Katie thought she saw a blush coloring her cheeks.

"How do you know these things?" Elrond asked, ignorant to his daughter's distress.

Katie decided to tell him the same thing she told Legolas, and explained about the 'visions'. "Then Prince Legolas was meant to find you," Arwen spoke up, sounding more convinced then Katie felt.

"It seems unlikely that their meeting could be purely coincidental." Elrond conceded.

He turned to Lenwë. "If you could escort my daughter back to her chambers, I'd like to have a word with Lady Bennett alone." His tone left no room for question, and Lenwë and Arwen quickly said their goodbyes and left.

Elrond turned and gave her a stern look once the elves had left. "There is much we need to discuss."

"Great," Katie muttered under her breath. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night. She was right.

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The next morning the council of Elrond met. The group talked for long hours about what needed and must be done. They had decided that a group of nine men- a fellowship- would take the Ring to Mordor and destroy it.

Legolas looked around the group as it slowly thinned. He felt confident in his decision to go, knowing he would stop at nothing to see the Ring destroyed and peace restored to Middle Earth. The only thing he was unsure about where his traveling companions. Aragorn he could understand, the man had been a long time friend, and proved himself trustworthy time and time again. Frodo seemed to be destined to carry the ring, and Gandalf would lead the way.

The others he was not as sure about. All the hobbits seemed a little young, and the man Boromir he did not trust. The worst was the dwarf, Gimli. Legolas would have rather it been anyone else but the dwarf.

As he mulled this over in his mind, Elrond walked over and clamped him on the shoulder. "I am relieved that you will be traveling with the fellowship," he spoke softly. Legolas stood silently, knowing there was more the elf wanted to say.

"There is one thing that troubles me..." Elrond spoke at last. "The girl you found."

Legolas groaned inwardly. "What about her?"

"I had a long discussion with her last night, and I believe she is telling the truth." Elrond looked as if he were as shocked to speak the words as Legolas was to hear them. "I believe she can help us."

Legolas looked over at the elf he admired so much, hoping to see a glint of jest in his eyes. There was no glint. He was serious.

"I believe she can help us," Elrond said again, speaking more to himself than Legolas. "She will travel with the Fellowship."

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A/N:

Alright, review please. How did everyone like it? Just for those of you who care, I have decided that this story will follow the movie (as I said in my earlier chapters) and will follow the movies timeline. I know in the book there is a two-month gap between the council meeting and them taking off, but in the movies, there is little time. In fact, they make it seem that the group leaves right away. They act like they're in a huge hurry to get the ring out of Rivendell.

THEREFORE, in conclusion, I will follow the movie timeline, and the fellowship WILL leave Rivendell a.s.a.p. If anyone has a complaint about this, e-mail me.

My extra special special thanks to my brave beta The Hobbit Ivy for her excellent work.

Katie-sue


	6. Chapter 6: Katie's Decision

**A Stranger In The Woods**

This Chapter is for TriGemini, who reviews every chapter (longer than one sentence), uses entire words, and doesn't use excessive punctuation.

Chapter 6:

To say Legolas was shocked would have been a huge understatement. Incredulous was more towards what he was feeling.

"You want a _woman_ to go with us?" he nearly shouted the words.

Elrond just nodded seriously.

"But, but," Legolas stammered. He had to make the older elf see reason. "It is too dangerous. She does not understand the hardships we will face. Plus," Legolas hated to say his next reason, but knew it must be addressed if he was going to talk Elrond out of his foolish decision. "As a woman she will be easier to track. She will put us all in peril."

Elrond shook his head as if the matter was already settled. "I have thought about that, and assure you it will not be a problem." Neither elf was comfortable discussing such private subjects aloud, and both were quiet for several minutes.

Finally, Elrond spoke again. "You are right," he said softly. "The journey will be fraught with much danger. That is why I am putting you in charge of her safety."

Legolas felt his eyes widen in disbelief again. Not only had he NOT talked Elrond out of his foolish plan, but he also had been given the task of watching after a woman who both annoyed and mystified him.

Elrond noticed his reaction, and shrugged as if apologizing. "You were meant to find her, Legolas. She is in your life now for a purpose. That is why I put her in your charge."

Legolas turned from Elrond, trying to come to grips with what the man was telling him. He took a deep breath and slowly released it. He knew there was no changing Elrond's mind once he set it on something.

"I will do this if I must."

"Great," Elrond smiled in relief, knowing Legolas would never turn from his word. "Now all that needs to be done is to convince Lady Bennett."

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"What!" Katie exclaimed, staring at the men surrounding her. She could hardly believe what they were telling her.

"You will travel with the Fellowship," Elrond repeated, more of a demand than request.

Katie fought down a scream of frustration. This was _really_ the last straw. Last night's interrogation had been quite enough, but now Elrond was demanding, _DEMANDING_ that she go with them. "Why doesn't anyone ask what I want?" she snapped. Although she hated to admit it to herself, she wasn't sure of what she wanted. Joining the fellowship would certainly be an adventure, but definitely dangerous. '_Spending time with Aragorn will be a definite plus,_' she thought wickedly.

"What do you want, Lady Bennett," Aragorn spoke up for the first time.

"I don't know," Katie said with a sigh. "I don't know."

Legolas stepped in front of her and caught her eye. "The journey will be long, and fraught with much danger," he warned. "You risk your life by accepting."

'_He's trying to talk me out of it_,' Katie realized with a frown. Suddenly, her mind was made up.

"I will go."

The look on Legolas' face was worth all the danger she faced.

"Good," Elrond said with a relieved smile. "I have assigned Legolas to be your guardian. He will see to it that no harm comes to you."

Katie felt her jaw drop. '_A guardian? What am I, a child?_' she wondered. However, compared to most elves she supposed she was.

"You will leave in two hours. Go and pack your things." Elrond said, dismissing her.

Katie felt anger rising within her and quickly returned to her room before she said something she would regret. She swung her door open and sat down on the edge of her bed with a huff.

"Great," she muttered to herself. "Now I have to put up with a moody elf for a babysitter for the next who-knows how long."

Just then, Legolas appeared in her doorway, as if summoned by her words.

Katie rose to her feet quickly. "What do you want?" she snapped, startled at the venom in her voice.

"You are angry because I was assigned to be your guardian." Legolas stated, meeting her gaze boldly. "Why?"

"I am not a child," she snapped. "I do not need your protection."

"We will see," Legolas spoke smoothly, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Yes, we will," Katie spat back.

Legolas took several steps towards her, looking angry. "I did not ask for this responsibility."

He glared at her, and Katie met his gaze, refusing to back down. After a minute, Legolas looked away.

"Would you rather Aragorn was responsible for you?" He asked quietly. All the anger was gone from his voice, replaced by wariness.

"No," Katie whispered, unsure where the question had come from. "I would have rather I was assigned to be my own guardian. I can take care of myself."

She grabbed her backpack off the floor and emptied the contents onto the bed. "I must pack," she mumbled, more to herself than Legolas. "If Elrond wishes for you to be my guardian, than who am I to argue?" she reasoned aloud, shoving things back into her pack, making a mental list. _'Hairbrush. Chapstick. Water bottle. Underwear...'_

She glanced over at him as he stood there like a statue of a Greek god come to life. His expression was unreadable.

"Don't you have to pack?" she asked shortly, uncomfortable with his scrutiny.

"Make sure you are at the gates on time." Was his only reply before he turned and left her room, shutting the door softly behind him.

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A/N: SO? What does everyone think? As I said last chapter, the fellowship is leaving a.s.a.p. What did everyone think of Legolas' reaction? Katie's? Oh, and for those of you who are confused: Legolas and Elrond were talking about Katie's '_moon days'_ when Legolas said she would be easier to track as a woman. AKA: her period.

Also, a huge thanks to my Busy Beta: The Hobbit Ivy, who reminded me that many Greek statues are naked!

Katie-sue


	7. Chapter 7: Meeting the Fellowship

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 7: Meeting the Fellowship**

Katie was still contemplating over what she would need on the journey when a knock sounded at her door. Arwen entered, carrying a stack of clothes.

"I searched for some garments for you to take," she said as she sat them on the bed. "I could only find men's traveling clothes, so we had to tailor them a little so that they might fit better."

Katie smiled at the woman in appreciation. "I was wondering what I should wear. I was afraid I was expected to wear a dress the entire trip," she said with a little laugh, as she picked up the clothes and went into the bathroom to try them on.

The beige shirt Arwen had found for her buttoned up the front, and went half way down to her knees. The underwear Arwen provided was made out of a stretchy spandex-like material, as was the dark green pants. The fabric fit to her like a second skin, needing only to be rolled up at the bottom to fit her legs.

Arwen laughed as she walked out to model her slightly oversized clothes. "Good thing I brought this," Arwen giggled, handing her a beautiful leather belt. An intricate swirl design ran along the length of it, adding character.

Katie wrapped it around her thin waist and studied her reflection in the mirror. '_Not bad_,' she thought self-consciously.

Next, she tried on the boots Arwen had brought. The smooth leather went half way up her leg, and unlike the clothes, fit her perfectly; the etched pattern on the belt echoed in the design of the boots. And last, Katie tied the dark green cloak around her, marveling at its softness.

"Thank you for everything," Katie said quickly and gratefully, knowing Arwen wanted to get back to Aragorn. The elven woman gave her a quick hug and wished her well before gracefully leaving, not making a sound.

Katie took a moment to glance around the room a final time, processing everything that had happened in the last 24 hours, wondering how it had all come to this. She had been planning an uneventful, unstressful week of camping and no work. She had even been toying with the idea of cutting her vacation a day short and painting her bathroom.

Now she was about to embark on what she was guessing would be the greatest adventure of her life.

"Apart from painting my bathroom," she muttered as she softly shut the door and walked towards the gates of the city.

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To Katie, it looked as if the entire population of elves had come to see them off on their journey. Several came up to her and wished her luck as she made her way towards where the fellowship was already forming. Everyone was there except one: Legolas.

Katie scanned the crowds for a glimpse of him, but only saw his brother heading her way.

"Be careful," he said, lightly grasping her arm.

"I will," Katie answered distractedly, wondering where Legolas was.

"If you are searching for my brother, I believe he is in discussion with Elrond."

Katie felt a rush of annoyance. She had a fairly good guess what Legolas was talking to Elrond about. '_The jerk still can't accept I'm going_,' she thought angrily.

Katie quickly told the elf goodbye and disappeared into the throng of people. She was slightly mad at Lenwë for telling her something she didn't want to know.

"Oh well," she muttered, forcing herself to smile as Gandalf approached her. He led her over to the start of the group and introduced her to the hobbits.

She shook their hands politely, as they gaped at her.

"You're going with us?" Pippin asked wide-eyed.

Frodo elbowed him sharply, as Katie tried hard not to laugh at Pippin's antics.

She received a distrusting look from Boromir, and a rough handshake from Gimli.

"Well, at least she's not another elf," he grumbled as he spied Legolas making his way towards them. Legolas scowled, indicating that he heard. The look he shot Gimli could have frozen water.

Katie watched as Elrond approached the group and made a point to look each of the travelers in the eye before beginning to speak.

"The Ringbearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom. On you who go with him, neither oath nor bond is laid to go further than you will." Elrond caught her eye, and smiled slightly before finishing his speech. "Farewell. Hold to your purpose, and may the blessings of elves, men, and all free folk go with you."

Katie looked around the group curiously as everyone stood in silence. Finally, Gandalf spoke up.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer."

Frodo slowly made his way to the gates looking tired and older than his years. Katie glanced back at the group of elves and men one last time before following Gimli out of the city.

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A/N:

Alright. Sorry I was late (my thanks to my belated beta The Hobbit Ivy)

So, let me know what you think. I know they got started off quickly, but trust me, I will make the journey a long one. In addition, to any that do not know, the journey did not take a year. From the time they left Rivendell, to the time the Ring was destroyed, it was exactly 3 months. I am writing according to that timetable. I may be off by a day or two.

Sorry this chapter was shorter. Promise update on Friday.

Katie-sue


	8. Chapter 8: Starting Off

A Stranger In The Woods

Chapter 8:

They walked for many hours, until Rivendell and the falls that surrounded the city were no longer visible. Katie soon found herself in the back with the hobbits, lagging behind the rest. Pippin kept asking her questions and she would answer as politely as possible, but mostly she tried to save her strength.

The landscape was breathtaking, and Katie found herself smiling in spite of the fact her legs were beginning to burn. She stopped at the top of the hill they were climbing, trying to commit the view before her to memory.

"It's beautiful, yes?" Aragorn spoke from right behind her. Katie jumped, startled, then smiled at the man.

"Indeed," she whispered. "I have seen only a few things more beautiful."

"Come," Aragorn urged, taking her by the arm. "We must continue."

Katie allowed him to lead her away from the view, and walked beside him silently as he let go of her arm. She took the chance to study him closely. He was indeed handsome, rough and manly. He didn't possess the lithe pettiness of Legolas, but every move he made showed his strength.

'_And, he looks damn good with that light beard_,' Katie thought with a wicked smile. She was almost positive she'd read somewhere that elves didn't have body hair. '_Lucky bastards_.'

'_Still_,' she mused '_Legolas would look incredibly sexy with a 5 o'clock shadow_.'

She was envisioning this as she absentmindedly stopped to pull some hair that had escaped back into her ponytail. She took the moment to admire her boots yet again. Although her legs were sore and aching to rest, her feet felt fine.

"Amazing," she muttered with a little laugh. "I wonder if they'll let me keep them."

'_Doubtful_,' she thought with a frown, suddenly noticing she had fallen way behind the others.

"Crap, crap, CRAP." She grumbled, jogging lightly to catch up. The group had just come back into sight when someone reached out and grabbed her arm roughly. A small scream escaped her lips before she realized it was Boromir.

Katie eyed him cautiously; they hadn't said much to each other besides 'hello'. She knew the Ring would manipulate him, and he would eventually die. Needless to say, she was wary to befriend him.

He stared at her as if she had some kind of disease he might catch.

"Who are you?" he demanded suddenly, harshly. "I have been watching you. You do not belong here."

"Let me go." Katie whispered, frightened by the distant look in his eyes. "You're hurting my arm. Let me go." She repeated, louder.

Boromir looked down at her like he had just realized she was there. "I- I apologize," he stuttered, looking off balanced. "I don't know what came over me."

He dropped her arm and Katie wasted no time hurrying back towards the group. She felt Legolas' gaze on her as she took her place in the back, and wondered if he had overheard the encounter. She knew elves had super-hearing, and realized she would have to be extra careful about what she said. Especially about him.

She saw the question in his eyes and figured that he had not heard. Katie shrugged her shoulders, dismissing the silent question. She continued walking, positioning herself as far away from Boromir as possible.

By the time Gandalf decided it was time to camp for the night, several hours later, Katie was ready to collapse from exhaustion. She untied her bedroll from Bill and spread it out beside Aragorn's. Her pack she decided to use for a pillow.

"Don't wake me for dinner," she announced to anyone listening, then laid down, stretching her tired muscles.

"Like that would even be possible," she heard Legolas mutter from his perch on a rock.

Katie shot him a poisonous look. "Smartass," she muttered then rolled over, snuggled into her cloak and promptly fell asleep.

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Five days later the group reached the Misty Mountains. From there they turned south and slowly made their way down the long path. Katie was surprised at how long it had taken them to reach the freshly covered peaks. The movies made it seem like the journey was nothing, just a walk in the park...

Now she knew differently. This is real life, and real sore muscles. She had to face the cold, hard truth: in real life there was no fast forward button. "Or stop or pause," she muttered, imagining how different her life would be if she could redo choice moments of her life.

Just then Merry and Pippin approached her, breaking her trail of thoughts. Katie fought the urge to roll her eyes; the two hobbits had done nothing except ask her questions since their journey started. They were very curious about her home and spent most of the seventh day questioning her about it.

"What do you miss the most?" Pippin asked shortly after they had eaten lunch.

"My dad."

"Is that it?" Merry piped up, disappointed with her short answer.

Katie shook her head in exasperation. "Do you want a list?" she asked sarcastically. Both hobbits nodded happily.

"Alright," she sighed, then took a minute to think. She missed so much stuff. So many modern conveniences she had taken for granted. '_I wish I had my car right about now_.'

"My dad, my friends, my clothes, my car, my ipod, my bed and pillows, my apartment…Oreos, chocolate," she said longingly, closing her eyes as she tried to imagine the taste of her favorite desserts. That got her to thinking about food.

"Mmmm…pizza. With everything on it."

Merry and Pippin both gave her baffled looks. "We have no idea what half of those things are," Merry admitted quietly.

Katie smiled. "And, I'm not going to explain them to you." She said, knowing their next question.

The hobbits frowned up at her and Merry mumbled something about being too tired to listen anyway just as Legolas walked up from behind.

He had been listening to the conversation, or rather the hobbits asking Katie question after question. "Maybe you would not be worn out if you saved your breath." Legolas told them with a frown. Merry and Pippin took the hint, and hurried to the front of the group.

Katie shot the elf an annoyed look as he walked beside her. "I'd rather have them for company than someone who doesn't talk at all." She muttered, wondering what it was about the man that made her unable to hold her tongue. And mutter so much.

Legolas looked taken aback. "I talk," he said somewhat defensively.

"Yeah? Not to me," she shot back.

His face twisted into a frown. "What do you want me to say?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "I don't know Legolas," she sighed with exasperation. "Usually two people just talk, it comes naturally…Evidently some elves don't possess this skill," she muttered.

She risked a glance at him- he was staring up at the sky, confusion etched on his lovely features. He turned to her suddenly, his bright blue eyes capturing hers with an intensity that shook her to the core. "Would you rather I questioned you as the hobbits did?"

Katie fought the urge to sigh in frustration as she turned away from his gaze. Apparently, he didn't understand the concept of just talking.

"You can ask me any question you want, Legolas," she announced, feeling rather bold suddenly.

Legolas was silent for a moment as he thought. There where several questions he wanted to ask her, but one weighed the most heavily on his mind. "Are you a spy?" he asked finally. "Or did you truly come from another place? Another world?"

Katie felt her eyes widen in surprise. She didn't know what question she had been expecting, but she hadn't been expecting _that_.

"You don't beat around the bush do you elf?" she said with a laugh. He shot her a bewildered look. "It's an expression," she explained. "It means you get straight to the point."

"You said I could ask anything," he pointed out, the edge of his lips curling into a rare smile.

"So I did," Katie bantered back with a grin. "And the answer is no, yes and yes."

"No, I am not a spy. And yes, I do come from a different place. A different world."

"Honestly," she continued, "I'm not sure whether to be flattered you would think Saruman would choose me to be a spy, or appalled."

Legolas studied her as if she was a new form of plant he'd stumbled across. Katie took a deep breath and met his gaze. "You don't have to believe me," she said "If elves have one imperfection it is the mistrust of others."

With this she smiled sweetly and walked away, leaving him to stare after her, bewildered.

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A/N: Okay, Okay, so I was one day late on my update- I apologize. I hope nobody reading this is a huge Boromir fan. He is rather mean to Katie, and it just gets worse. The poor guy is being manipulated by the ring, and isn't himself. So, apologize again.

Thanks to my breathtaking beta The Hobbit Ivy. I'm glad you're helping me, and I don't care what you say, I need your help.

Everyone please review- entire words if possible! Update coming soon-

Katie-sue


	9. Chapter 9: The Birds

**A Stranger In The Woods**

Chapter 9:

They slowly made their way towards the Gap of Rohan. The days mixed together in a cloud of dust and exhaustion as the group marched on with little rest.

Katie began to get to know everyone better; everyone except Boromir was friendly and talked with her. Boromir was friendly enough to everyone else- just not her. Even Legolas had spoken with her a few times. Mostly she just asked him a question and he answered, but it was an obvious improvement.

Merry and Pippin continued to relentlessly bombard her with questions, making her explain every little thing from credit cards to microwaves. Frodo and Sam spoke to her rarely, but mostly stuck together, preferring to talk amongst themselves.

Aragorn was amazed at the fact that in 'her world' females worked for a living. An argument broke out when Katie told him _she_ worked for a living. Miracle of all miracles, Legolas and Gimli had finally agreed on something: it was improper for a woman to work. That had been on day eleven.

Since then, Merry and Pippin had asked close to a million questions about her job. As they walked along on what marked the second week since the start of their journey, the hobbits were back at it.

"What do you do with the money?" Pippin asked curiously.

"I pay bills," she stated simply, starting to get fed up.

"What are bills?" Merry spoke up.

Katie explained them as simply as possible, feeling as if she was talking to two unruly children. She was suddenly aware that Legolas was listening in on their conversation.

"Most of my money goes towards rent- That's what you pay to live in a house," she added as Pippin opened his mouth.

Legolas walked up beside them. "I still say a woman shouldn't work," he muttered.

Katie shot him an annoyed look. "What am I supposed to do? Have my roommate pay all my bills?"

Legolas frowned. Hard. "You have a roommate?"

Katie felt like slapping herself upside the forehead. '_Why did I tell him that?_'

"Yes," she admitted, a little grin creeping onto her face. "A guy."

The look of shock on Legolas' face was almost comical. "You live with a man?" he asked quietly. "Are you married?"

Katie laughed aloud, startling him. "Heavens no! Devin is my best friend." The scandalized look was still on his face, so she continued. "It's not like we share a room or anything. He sleeps clear on the other side of the house."

Legolas looked somewhat relieved. "Your world is very different from ours," he said quietly.

"You can say _that_ again, Greenleaf..." she muttered.

Merry and Pippin overheard Legolas' nickname, and spent the next hour until they stopped for lunch questioning him about it. Katie walked behind them, grinning as she watched the elf's patience waning rapidly. He shot her a poisonous look, making her smile broader.

"So, if one calls you Legolas Greenleaf, what they are really saying is Greenleaf, Greenleaf," Pippin realized in fascination.

Legolas closed his eyes in frustration, and Katie could almost _hear_ him gritting his teeth.

"Or Legolas, Legolas," Merry felt compelled to point out.

Both hobbits appeared to get a kick out of that, and Katie had to bite down on her lip to keep a laugh from emerging. Legolas looked precariously close to losing his calm.

'_I guess even elves have a limit on how much they can tolerate,_' Katie thought with a chuckle. She walked over to the two hobbits and shot Legolas a quick wink.

"I believe I heard Boromir mention something about more fighting lessons," she lied.

Merry and Pippin hurried off quickly to find the man, arguing over who would go first. Legolas took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Thanks," he grumbled, then walked over to find Gandalf.

Katie had to fight to contain another laugh. The relieved look on his face when the hobbits left was priceless. '_He always manages to look handsome and composed, even when he's annoyed_,' she realized and walked over to help Sam with lunch.

The young hobbit looked up at her as she approached and smiled shyly. They cooked the portions over the fire and then sat down to eat.

"There is one thing I do not understand," Sam said quietly when they had finished.

Katie looked over at him curiously; he wasn't one for questions. "What's that?"

Sam frowned, taking a minute to find the nerve to ask, as if he was already regretting what he'd said. "Well, aren't people looking for you?" he blurted out finally. "I mean, don't you think people will wonder where you are?"

Katie studied the mountains in the distance. She didn't want to admit the truth, but felt compelled to be honest with the man. "I doubt it. I doubt anyone realizes I am gone."

She felt tears prick the corner of her eyes, and hurried to continue. "The only people that will care that I am gone are my coworkers, Devin, and my dad."

She let out a small, humorless laugh. "I am probably out of a job by now, Devin probably thinks I just took off like I occasionally do and my dad…" She looked down sadly and sighed, "I know he's not looking for me."

"I am sure he misses you." Sam said soothingly.

Katie shook her head. "He is very sick," she whispered. "After…after my mom died he had a stroke... That was three years ago. He's been steadily getting worse. Last year I had to put him in the hospital, and now," she took a deep breathe, not wanting to show how much this still hurt. "Now, he doesn't even know who I am most times I come to see him."

She glanced up and noticed Legolas was staring at her, an odd look on his face. She caught his gaze and he quickly looked away, walking towards where Gimli and Gandalf were talking.

'_Was he listening to our conversation?_' she wondered as she stared after the elf. He had leapt onto a bolder and appeared to be studying a small dark cloud.

"Oh, shit!" She cried out, jumping quickly to her feet. She had forgotten all about the birds.

"Quick! Hide!" She yelled at the men, quickly grabbing her bag pack off the ground and attempting to smother the fire.

The entire group turned and stared at her dumbly.

"The birds," she cried in frustration. '_Why aren't they doing anything?_' she wondered frantically. Aragorn frowned at her.

"The birds!" she tried again. "The damn….Oh, what the hell are they called!"

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas cried out from his perch on the bolder.

Suddenly, everyone around her sprang into action. "Hide!" Aragorn shouted.

"Oh, now they hide," Katie muttered to herself, shoving her pack under a large rock.

She was searching for a place to hide herself when someone grabbed her and roughly pulled her under a bush. Her head collided with the corner of a rock as Legolas shoved her to the ground. His hard body covered hers, effectively pinning her against the earth.

A small gasp escaped her lips as she lay there motionless- startled by his sudden closeness.

'_He's so light_,' she thought, amazed, swallowing another gasp as his arm pressed against her chest as he twisted to watch the birds fly over. In the back of her mind she was aware of their loud screeches and cries, but for now, all her energy and attention was focused on Legolas and his body lying on hers. She shifted slightly, and his already tight body tensed even more at her movement.

He spun back around and looked down at her sharply. Katie was aware of every movement of his body. His lips curled down in a frown, his eyes narrow as he studied her. A hot bolt of electricity slid through her body as their gazes met.

"You knew about the birds?" Spoken in a deadly whisper, disbelief and anger clouding his once light eyes. He jumped up and pulled her from under the bushes before she had a chance to reply.

"Did you know?" He asked again, not even bothering to help her up as she sat there in the dirt.

Katie nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"If you knew, why did you not warn us sooner?" Legolas demanded, glaring down at her.

"I forgot," she whispered, feeling like a child who has just been soundly scolded.

"Be sure it does not happen again." Legolas snapped, and then abruptly walked away.

Katie buried her head in her knees, angry with herself for forgetting such a key event. '_That's the entire reason I'm here_,' she thought with a sigh. '_I'm supposed to make the trip easier and instead I am adding to the problems._'

She took a deep breath to calm herself; but her heart was still racing from having Legolas pressed up against her.

'_I can handle admiring him from afar_,' she thought as she stood and dusted herself off. '_But to have him so close to me- touching me- that's torture_.'

She glanced around, wondering what everyone else was doing. The hobbits were eating again, chatting as if nothing had happened. Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli stood huddled together talking quietly. She saw the men glance up at the mountain behind them and knew they were talking about the Pass of Caradahas.

Katie walked away from the group, hoping to get a few minutes to compose herself. She rounded a group of rocks and collided directly with Boromir.

"Just the person I wanted to see," he leered, grabbing her arms tightly. "Why didn't you warn us sooner about the birds?" he growled, moving his faces within inches of hers.

"I-I-I forgot," she stammered, petrified of the hateful look in his eyes.

"You are a spy!" he hissed, pressing her back firmly against the rocks.

"No" she whimpered, "I promise."

"If I find out you are," He shook her hard. "I will not hesitate to slit your throat."

Katie let out a little moan of fear, knowing in her heart he was serious.

"Release her, Boromir," came a wonderfully familiar voice from her left.

She looked over and breathed a huge sigh of relief as she saw Legolas standing there, his face impassive. She never thought she'd be so glad to see the elf.

"Can you not see she is a spy, Legolas?" Boromir asked, loosening his grip slightly.

"Spy or not, she is my responsibility. Now, release her." Legolas replied calmly.

Boromir grudgingly let her go and Katie immediately ran to Legolas' side. She was shaking, and for once was glad he had been forced to protect her.

"You speak with your heart, not your head Prince," Boromir said softly.

Katie saw him stiffen. "She is not your responsibility," he repeated evenly.

"If anything happens, I will make her my responsibility," Boromir promised, stomping off.

Once he was out of sight, Legolas turned towards her, looking her up and down for injuries.

"Are you hurt?" he asked softly, reaching up and lightly brushing the small cut on her head.

"No," she whispered, flinching away from his touch. She was shaky and felt like throwing up, but overall she was fine.

"It is not a deep cut," he assured her, leaning closer to inspect it.

"I said I am fine," she snapped, her head beginning to throb in pain. "Sorry..." she muttered, seeing the befuddled look on his face. "We'd better get back to the group."

Legolas just gave her a curt nod and both were silent as they walked back.

"Let us hope the Pass of Caradahas is an easy one," Gandalf said as they set out toward the mountains.

Katie sighed, knowing it wouldn't be.

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A/N: Well, here is a long chapter for all you readers. I hope you liked it. I am still sorry to make Boromir my bad guy, but you know how it is…

My thanks to my benevolent beta The Hobbit Ivy for all her work. I, do not, use, to many, commas!

I hope everyone is enjoying the story thus far. Please review and let me know.

Katie-sue


	10. Chapter 10: Discoveries in the Dark

**A Stranger In The Woods**

Chapter 10: Discoveries in the Dark

The group walked for many hours until the air became crisp and darkness fell. Katie paid little attention to her surroundings, her mind too focused on the upcoming events of the fellowship.

She was at a complete loss of what to do. One part of her wanted to tell Gandalf or even Legolas about Sarumans plans to bring the mountain down on them. The other part warned her to keep quiet. '_Boromir isn't the only one who doesn't trust you_.' She reminded herself. She knew that her warnings might be twisted around to make her look like _she_ was trying to sabotage the journey. '_Maybe it's better to let things play out on their own_.' She fought with herself. '_Of course'_ she countered '_Legolas will be angry with me if he finds out I knew and didn't tell_.' It seemed hopeless either way.

After dinner, the group huddled around the fire to keep warm. Nobody spoke for a long time, even the hobbits were to cold to ask questions.

Katie glanced across the fire a Legolas. He looked so mysterious sitting there- flames dancing over his handsome face. She looked away before he could catch her staring and tried to think of something to say to break the silence.

"Who was Lothriel?" She asked suddenly, surprising herself with the question. She hadn't known she was going to ask until she heard the words come from her mouth, but the question had been quietly brewing since Rivendell.

Both Legolas and Aragorn's head snapped up, but it was Gandalf who spoke. "Why do you ask?"

Everyone turned their eyes to her, waiting for her answer. Katie could feel herself blush.

"Elrond mentioned something about her."

"She was an elf." Gandalf paused for a long moment, studying her closely in the firelight. "I think one might mistake you for an elf, if they did not know you."

Katie looked at the wizard, wondering if maybe he had gone crazy. "You mean before they heard me speak or saw me walk?" Gimli snorted.

"Aye lass, you aren't very graceful." The dwarf said with a chuckle. "Who was this elf lady?" he asked. "Not that I care to know," he hastened to add.

Aragorn cleared his throat and looked up into the dark sky, his serious demeanor quieting the group.

"Lothriel and her husband Eldamar lived in Lothlórien with their only child. Lothriel was the only sister to Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlórien. Long years ago the couple was attacked by orcs as they traveled to Mirkwood. Some believe the orcs were sent to ambush the elves. To kill them."

"Or take the child." Katie thought out loud.

Aragorn nodded his agreement and continued. "Many elves died during the battle, including Lothriel and Eldamar. The child's body was never found."

"So the orcs took it?" Katie asked, feeling bile rise in her throat at the thought of those monsters with the child. She wrapped her cloak tighter around her shivering body. "It would be better to be dead than in the hands of those filthy creatures."

"Plus," Katie added, feeling compelled to continue, "If the child were found alive, it would have to grow up without parents; Have to live its entire life mindful of their deaths."

"Not knowing your parents is like having a hole in your heart," she whispered.

Aragorn was taken-aback at the depth of sadness in her voice. "Do you suffer from this loss?" He asked kindly.

Katie sighed. "Yes and no. I had parents….my mother and father both died when I was very young. I don't remember them. Sometimes I have dreams…" She cut herself off abruptly, rather annoyed at her ramblings. She hardly talked about her parents and never about the dreams. She prayed someone would change the subject.

Legolas stared across the fire at her, looking puzzled. He hadn't spoken a word the entire conversation, and now opened his mouth to talk. He abruptly snapped it shut as Pippin cleared his throat.

"Didn't you say earlier that your dad was still alive?" Obviously, it _wasn't_ cold enough not to ask questions.

Katie nearly groaned; she really didn't want to get into this particular subject right now. Or ever for that matter.

"He is Pippin. My biological mother and father died when I was three years old in an accident. I was sent to an orphanage to live-."

"What does by-o-lodge-i-coal mean?" Pippin interrupted.

"And what is an orphanage?" Merry piped up.

Literally biting back a scream of annoyance, Katie told them. "Biological means you share the same blood. An orphanage is a place kids go that have no home."

Both hobbits opened their mouths to ask another question, but were silenced by Legolas.

"Let her tell her story." He said firmly, finally speaking. Katie felt a rush of gratitude for him and her annoyance of the hobbits lessened slightly.

"So," Katie continued quickly, "I was sent to a foster home- a home where other parents take care of you" she added, mostly for the Hobbit's sakes, "and I went through three of these homes before I found my mom and dad. I was there eleven years until I moved out into a place of my own… I call my adoptive parents mom and dad because they raised me and cared for me. They were my parents, and always will be."

"Any more questions?" she finished, a little annoyed at baring so much personal stuff to her companions.

"You moved out by yourself, and your parents allowed this?" Legolas asked, unable to hold his tongue.

Annoyance flared up again, and Katie shot him a piercing look. '_He just can't let it go_.'

"Yes, Legolas, and I lived gasp by myself until my mom died 3 years ago."

She smirked at his irritated look. '_He obviously isn't use to being mocked._'

"After that, I moved back in with my father until he had to be hospitalized last year. My friend Devin kindly let me stay with him and I've been there since."

"Well, except now," she added in a mumble, clumsily rising to her feet.

"If no one minds, I am going to get some sleep," she said overly cheerful, looking around the group.

All the men stared up at her, dumbfounded.

"I guess nobody minds, so goodnight." Mortified, she hurried to the horse to get her pack and nearly fell on her face.

'_Why can't I do anything right?_' she asked herself as she laid out her bedroll. '_Why do I speak before I think?_'

She buried her head in her pack and groaned. Behind her, the men finally began to talk again. They were still talking when she drifted off to sleep.

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Katie awoke from a dream some hours later, drenched in sweat despite the cold night air. In her dream it had been storming, a secret fear of hers since childhood. It seemed to her that all the bad things in her life had occurred either right before, or right after a storm.

She broke her arm at a skating rink in third grade, and it stormed.

Her first boyfriend broke up with her in his car, while it stormed outside.

Her mom had told her goodbye, dying as a storm beat against her hospital window.

She walked in on the only man she had ever loved in bed with another woman, and of course, the next day it stormed.

From beside her Gimli emitted an earth-shaking snore, causing her to jump. '_It was no wonder I was dreaming about thunder_,' she thought with a small laugh, smiling despite her previous melancholy thoughts. She looked around the group, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Everyone was sleeping except Aragorn, who was at the edge of the group quietly humming to himself as he kept watch.

Slipping on her boots as silently as possible Katie stood, needing to walk to clear her mind from the remnants of the dream. She moved as quietly as possible along the row of bodies, stopping only when she caught a glimpse of Legolas.

The elf was sleeping on his back, arms crossed over his chest, eyes wide open.

Katie gasped, tiptoeing closer to get a better look. '_He almost looks dead_,' she thought, tilting her head to the side as she studied him.

His blue eyes held a glazed over look, reminding her suddenly of when her mom had died. A thin sliver of panic ran down her spine as her eyes focused on his chest. It wasn't moving.

"Oh, my God," she breathed, struggling to remain calm. She crept forward and crouched down beside him, hoping to hear his breathing. Nothing. She leaned in closer, only inches from his face, putting her ear as close to him as she dared.

He shifted slightly and Katie sprang to her feet, startled at the movement. She let out a sigh of relief and shook her head, inwardly scolding herself for being paranoid.

Hoping he wouldn't wake up, she quickly walked away, and didn't stop until the group was out of sight.

The stars shone brightly above, covering everything in a silver haze as she sat down on a large rock and turned her face up at the moon. Within minutes, Katie began to feel better, calmer. For some reason, the night sky had always held a relaxing power for her, and many nights after the great tragedies in her life, she would sit outside, alone, in the dark. '_If it wasn't storming, of course.'_

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up suddenly, alerting her to the fact someone, or something, was watching her. Slowly she leaned over, casually reaching into her left boot to retrieve the knife hidden there. Aragorn had shown her the invisible hiding place, and, after much cajoling, lent her a small knife to use. She grasped the handle tightly, preparing to fight.

Quickly jumping to her feet, she spun around and nearly screamed when she saw Legolas standing only a few feet away.

"What the hell?" she sputtered, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Legolas blinked at her, eyes narrowing as he spied the knife.

"Where did you get that? And what are you doing so far from the group?"

The fear and shock Katie had been feeling quickly turned to anger. "I should be the one asking the questions. What the hell are you doing sneaking up on me?"

"I was not sneaking up on you," he spat, annoyance clear in his voice.

Katie glared at him, wishing looks could kill. '_Or seriously maim,_' she thought, not quite wanting him dead.

"Then WHAT do you call creeping up on me in the middle of the night?"

He scowled. "I was walking normal," he bit off.

"Do me a favor, _Prince_, the next time you "walk normal" behind me in the dark, do it a little louder."

Suddenly she took a step back, looking him up and down suspiciously.

"What were you doing following me anyways? Tired of being my babysitter? Planning to rid the world of me?"

"Unfortunately, this did not occur to me," he said through clenched teeth, frustration evident on his features.

'Katie bit her cheeks to keep from smiling, her anger forgotten despite her best efforts. '_He obviously isn't use to people arguing with him_,' she thought, immensely enjoying herself.

"I was making sure you weren't in trouble," he brisked, "or hurt." He reached out and plucked the knife from her hand quicker than a blink of an eye. "You should not travel away from the group."

Katie turned away from him, frowning at the loss of her sword. He had taken the only defense she had in this forsaken world. "I don't see why it matters," she muttered, beginning to walk away.

Legolas reached up and grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around. "It matters," he said in a deadly quiet voice, "because I have to protect you. And I cannot do this when you run away."

"I wasn't running away," she growled, pulling her arm free from his grasp. She turned and began to walk towards the group again, silently daring him to stop her. "And I don't need your protection." She threw over her shoulder, the words sounding weak, even to her ears. She couldn't help it, for some reason Legolas brought out the worst in her. Her childish, temperamental side that only came out when she least expected it.

She walked all the way back to her bed and pulled off her boots before lying down.

Legolas hadn't tried to stop her, and although Katie had gotten the last word in, she had a nagging suspicion she had lost the fight.

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A/N:

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I have begun to label my chapters. I will also be making each chapter longer than the first eight. I hope everybody likes this chapter, and the idea of longer chapters. If I make you wait over a week for an update, I might as well make it worth it, right?

A special thanks to my brainy beta The Hobbit Ivy for all her hard work. Or not so hard work, as I fool myself to think.

Review please-

Katie-sue


	11. Chapter 11: The Pass of Caradhras

**A Stranger In The Woods**

Chapter 11: The Pass of Caradhras

They sat off early the next morning, and spent the whole day trudging through the snow as they climbed higher up the mountain. It was cold, it was wet… it was not fun. Oh, how she wished she could just say a word and be magically whisked off the mountain!

And of course, Frodo somehow misplaced the Ring. Katie watched anxiously as Boromir held the Ring, pulling him deeper into Sauron's spell. Tensions ran high, and when Boromir gave back the Ring to Frodo the tension lessened from palpable to an unpleasant buzz.

The snow whipped around the group like a blizzard, slowing everyone except Legolas. Katie couldn't get over how graceful he looked, gliding over the snow effortlessly. The wind stung her face as she raised her eyes, catching a glimpse of him at the front of the group, talking with Gandalf. Or really, yelling at Gandalf over the noise of the wind.

She had known from the moment she woke up that morning what she must do. She had to tell Legolas about the avalanche. Had to warn him, even if he didn't believe her. She was tired of playing games; it was time to be honest. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, it bothered her that he didn't trust her.

"No time like the present," she muttered, lifting her head in determination just as a strong gust of wind caught the hood of her cloak.

The snow slapped against her face as she unsuccessfully tried to pull it back over her head, her frozen fingers unable to grasp the material. She turned and tried to find it, feeling like a cat chasing after its tail.

A hand clamped down on her shoulder, stopping her in the middle of her second turn. She looked up and was surprised to find Legolas in front of her, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"What are you doing?" He asked, looking very much as if he wanted to laugh.

"My fingers…I can't put my hood back on." She said lamely.

His lips twitched. "Why did you take it off in the first place?"

Katie stamped her foot in frustration. "I didn't, the wind…oh," she mumbled, suddenly realizing he was teasing her. If it wasn't so damn cold, Katie was sure she would have blushed.

"You might stay warmer if you keep it on," he said, grinning as he reached behind her and gently pulled the hood over her head.

"Wait," she whispered as he began to walk away. "I need to talk to you."

Legolas turned back to face her, surprised by her words. He wondered if she was going to yell at him again.

"I need to talk to you," she repeated.

"I am listening," he said softly, taking a step towards her.

"I don't know how to say this," she whispered, biting her lower lip nervously. Well, the obvious approach seems like a good idea. "Saruman is going to try to bring the mountain down on us and we will have to travel back down the mountains into-."

"What are you talking about?" he asked sharply, cutting her off.

"Saruman is going to try to bring the mountain down on us and we will have to travel back down the mountain to the mines." She repeated slowly, feeling like an idiot.

"I heard you the first time," he snapped, looking at her in bewilderment.

"What I meant was, how, exactly do you know this information?"

"I told you I could see into the future." She pointed out.

He stared at her for a full thirty seconds, doubt written all over his face. "I see," he muttered, then turned and walked away.

'_He doesn't believe me_,' she realized as she watched him leave. Anger rose inside her.

"Legolas!" She yelled, suddenly furious. He turned, and before she could stop herself, she marched directly in front of him and shoved him as hard as she could in the chest.

He stumbled slightly, momentarily thrown off by her actions.

"You are such an ASS!" she hissed. "I am here because I know the future of the Fellowship, and yet when I tell you, you refuse to believe me. Tell me, _Prince_," she nearly shouted, "What the hell am I here for then?"

He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "It can't be because I'm wanted here," she continued, lowering her voice. "It is perfectly clear that I am not. So, why am I here?"

"Are you and Boromir planning together? Seeing who can make me feel the most stupid, the least welcomed?"

"What?" He asked ineloquently, suddenly feeling lost.

"Don't play dumb, Elf, it doesn't look good on you," she snapped.

"I do not know what you are talking about," he said with a sigh of frustration, "I can assure you that Boromir and I are not conspiring together."

"I am sorry I do not believe you," he went on quietly, "but I tend to think rationally about such matters, and looking into the future is not rational."

He glanced up at the mountain. "Furthermore," he continued after a pause, "I am sorry if we…if I… have made you feel unwelcome. I do not think you are stupid."

"But you think I'm irrational." She stated calmly, no longer angry.

"No…not _you_," he said slowly, trying to decide how to word his feelings. "Seeing into the future."

Katie looked down at her hands, unsure of what to say or believe.

Legolas stared down on her, emotions bright in his eyes. "Why did you tell me this?" He asked quietly. "What do you expect me to do?"

Katie closed her eyes, struggling with the questions. She didn't want to tell him the truth, didn't want to make herself vulnerable, but it seemed she had no choice.

"I told you because I trust you," she whispered, finally looking up to meet his gaze. "I hoped you would trust me enough to believe what I said. Saruman _will_ bring the mountain down on us."

Legolas' blue eyes bore into hers, searching for the truth. He took a step towards her and opened his mouth to speak when a voice interrupted.

"What's the hold up?" Gimli yelled from ahead of them.

Katie jumped and quickly stepped away from Legolas. She felt heat rise to her cheeks and looked down before he could see.

"I will talk to Gandalf." Legolas said quietly, ignoring the dwarf. "I will try to persuade him to turn around."

Katie's head snapped up at his words, and she opened her mouth to speak, but he had already disappeared into the swirling snow.

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By the time Katie caught up with the rest of the group, she knew it was too late. Call it intuition; call it a hunch, but she knew. The ledge they stood on looked remarkably and dreadfully familiar, and Katie knew deep in her heart that any minute Saruman would strike the mountain with lightning, burying them all in snow. And she was helpless to stop it.

Legolas, who had been standing at the head of the group arguing with Gandalf, abruptly stopped. He walked out onto the edge of the mountain and squinted up into the blinding snow.

"There is a fell voice from the air," he said suddenly. Katie could practically see his mind working like clockwork, registering what she had just warned him about.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf cried in realization.

Just then, several huge chunks of snow fell from the mountain, nearly hitting the group and sending snow-dust up into the air, blocking their vision and making it harder to breath than it already was.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn yelled. "Gandalf, we must turn back."

"No!" Gandalf cried, climbing up onto the ledge in front of Legolas. Obviously, he hadn't paid attention to the elf's warnings. He started chanting loudly in a language Katie didn't recognize, clearly challenging Saruman. She looked around desperately, feeling herself beginning to panic. There was nothing she could do; no way to stop the series of events that were taking place right before her eyes. Katie realized in that terrible moment that she _hated_ knowing the future.

She looked at Legolas pleadingly, begging him to do something, _anything_. Their gazes met. She saw the look of bewilderment in his clear blue eyes and knew it was too late. She hadn't been able to stop it, and neither could Legolas. A few seconds later, a huge bolt of lightning struck the mountainside above them with a deafening crack.

Katie looked up in time to see chunks of snow and rock falling towards them, and wished she hadn't looked. She barely had time to cover her face with her arms before she was knocked on her back by the force of the avalanche. It buried her, smashing her, trapping her in an icy tomb. It instantly knocked the air from her lungs and, panicked, she realized she couldn't move or breathe. She struggled, fighting for the chance to live. The world began to turn fuzzy and black at the edges and she felt herself slipping away- slowly losing consciousness.

She was only vaguely aware of strong hands grabbing her and pulling her out of the snow. She felt her head being tilted up, then a hot mouth pressed against hers, forcing air into her starving lungs. Her eyes flew open as she gasped for breath, and saw Legolas leaning over her, his blue eyes wild.

"Are you hurt?" he asked in a shaky voice, helping her sit up.

'No," she squeaked, trying to get her breath back. "Is everyone else okay?" she asked with a cough.

"I believe so," he whispered, his eyes scanning her for injuries. He gently felt up and down her arms and legs, checking for breaks.

Aragorn made his way over to them, plowing a deep trail through the huge pile of snow. His eyes quickly scanned her in the same manner that Legolas' had, and he gave her a relieved smile.

"I am glad everyone is okay. Frodo hurt his shoulder, but he is fine," he turned to Legolas. "It has been decided that we must travel back down the mountains, and into the Mines."

Legolas gave the man a curt nod and watched as he went back to work on the snow. After a minute, he turned back to Katie, looking intent.

"I apologize," he said quietly, watching her reaction closely.

Her head snapped up and she blinked her large gray eyes in confusion. "What for?"

"For not believing what you told me."

"Oh," Katie said ineloquently, surprised at his apology. She wasn't used to men who apologized without being forced to. Well, except her dad, but he didn't count.

"Apology accepted," she replied with a small sigh. "And, thank you."

"For what?" Legolas asked; his turn to look surprised.

"For saving my life," she whispered, shuddering as she remembered how close she had come to dying.

"You're welcome," Legolas said.

Katie stood quickly, uncomfortable with the honesty of the conversation. Dizziness swept over her like a wave and she stumbled, landing right back on her bottom in the wet snow.

Katie blinked several times until her swimming vision returned to normal. She looked up and was shocked to find Legolas kneeling in front of her, his face mere inches from her own.

"Put your hands around my neck," he demanded, his voice smooth; mesmerizing.

Katie slipped her hands around him, too surprised to argue.

He scooped her up and effortlessly rose to his feet. "I will carry you until the snow thins out," he stated, ignoring the small gasp of shock and the question in her eyes. He turned and began to follow the group back down the mountain, looking calm and collected.

Katie on the other hand, was a ball of tangled nerves. She literally had to force herself to close her gaping mouth and tear her eyes from his face. '_He's just being nice_,' she reminded herself, trying not to let his closeness effect her. It was rather disorientating.

'_Or maybe it's because of the whole almost dying thing_,' she tried to reason with herself, failing miserably. Her mind kept replaying the moment he picked her up over and over again. He had moved so fast, she hadn't known he was reaching for her until she felt his arms slip under her knees. His other arm rested against her back, and she marveled at his amazing strength.

He carried her across the snow and over the icy terrain as if she weighed nothing more than a sack of feathers. '_He can carry me, and still manage to be graceful,_' she realized, trying to ignore the feel of his hard muscles beneath his clothes as he held her tight. She tried to relax in his arms as he walked, but it was more difficult than she imagined. Every step he took reminded her how strong his arms were, and pressed her more firmly against his chest.

'_I bet he has an incredible body_,' she couldn't help but think- trying to imagine him without a shirt.

Feeling a blush rising on her cheeks, she buried her head in his soft tunic and forced herself to relax. '_Just close your eyes_,' she thought calmly. '_Relax_.'

Katie had never been one to stay awake long once her eyes closed, and sure enough, five minutes later, she was asleep.

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A/N:

So, what do you think? Do you think Katie made the right decision in telling Legolas? Do you think this will improve their relationship any? Would you like Legolas to press his hot mouth against yours? Don't answer that, I already know!

To answer a few questions: A tenth walker is when you write a fan-fic that puts your character as one of the fellowship. There are just the 9 in the books and movies, so people hate when you add a person and screw that up. That's why I warned everyone. Also, I do not think I have made Legolas mean. He is a prince. I think he would have been proud and probably a little prejudice against strangers. I think I am accurate in my portrayal of him (movie wise at least). What does everyone think? Plus, there's something about grumpy, gorgeous men…

Also, my thanks to The Hobbit Ivy, my bright beta!

Please review and tell me what you like/dislike. Expect update soon!

Katie-sue


	12. Chapter 12: The Thoughts of an Elf

**A Stranger In The Woods**

Chapter 12: The Thoughts of an Elf

Legolas cocked his head to the side as he stared down at the woman he held in his arms. He smiled slightly as she let out another low snore. She had fallen asleep almost immediately after he had begun to carry her, and he didn't believe she would be waking anytime soon. She shivered in her sleep, and Legolas instinctively pulled her closer to him, attempting to warm her cold, limp body. With slight difficulty he tucked her cloak back tighter around her legs and took the opportunity to stare down at her freely.

She looked so peaceful as she slept; blissfully unaware of everything going on around her while she wandered through her dreams. Her wet hair clung to her cheeks and Legolas fought the urge to tuck it behind her ears with his fingers. He was startled at how drawn he was to her; never before had he taken such notice of a human woman. Now it seemed she was all he thought about.

She was a puzzle, an enigma. She used bizarre language, and spoke her mind in a blunt, unladylike way. The clothes she wore were men's clothing, yet she wore them more comfortably then she wore a dress. She walked like a man, and cursed like a man, but the unintentional sway of her hips and her feminine laugh betrayed her as definitely a woman.

Ever since he had seen her in the woods- lost and alone- she hadn't been far from his thoughts. He found himself always watching her, listening to her, thinking about her. He realized he had been doing these things quite unaware he was doing them.

Overall, he was uncertain how he felt about her. Katie. Such a bizarre name. Such a bizarre woman. '_No, not bizarre_,' he thought, trying to think of a word to better describe her. '_Interesting. Fascinating. Surprising_.' All three fit.

She had definitely surprised him the night before when she leaned over him as he slept. He had of course been aware of her; elves never slept completely unaware. She had approached him and leaned over him and for one heart-stopping moment, Legolas thought she was going to kiss him. Then she had left and walked away from the group. Strange Indeed.

Legolas couldn't imagine how she must feel, away from her world, stuck with four hobbits, two men, a wizard a dwarf and him. He knew he had not made her journey any easier and she probably wished Aragorn, not him, had been chosen as her protector.

Most of all, Legolas did not feel like himself and it shook him to the core. He had always prided himself on knowing what to say, even if he hardly spoke. He possessed his mother's internal sense of grace and until recently had not known how awkwardness felt. In addition, he had never second-guessed his feelings before. Until now. Until _her_.

Legolas was still pondering this when Aragorn approached him, breaking his thoughts.

"Do you need a rest?" He asked, motioning to Katie. "I will take her if you do."

"I can manage," Legolas said shortly. Seeing the rangers confused look, he added, "Elves do not tire as easily as humans."

Aragorn gave him a knowing smile. "I understand," he said, walking away. Legolas sighed to himself, fearing the ranger _did_ understand. Aragorn probably understood more than _he_ did. He looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms and vowed not to think about her anymore. He failed.

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Katie was immediately aware of two things when she opened her eyes: 1) Legolas was still carrying her and 2) he was staring down at her rather intensely. Intensely enough to make her uncomfortable. She shifted, trying to put some distance between their bodies and politely cleared her throat.

"Uh, how long have I been asleep?" she managed.

Legolas blinked and snapped his head up, looking straight ahead. "Several hours."

"Holy shit!" she muttered in awe. "You've been carrying me for several _hours_?"

"Yes," Legolas said shortly, trying not to let his amusement show.

"Well, aren't you tired?" Katie knew elves were strong and all, but this was really too much.

"No," he said with a small grin. "You are light."

Katie snorted. "I doubt that, though I have lost weight since this trip began…something about hardly eating and walking twenty miles a day," she muttered.

Legolas couldn't help but tease her. "You were snoring again though," he trailed off as she looked down in mortification.

'_Do I really snore_?' she wondered frantically. "I haven't been carried since I was 15," she said, trying to steer the conversation away from that embarrassing topic.

"By whom?" Legolas asked, finally looking down at her again. "A beau?"

Katie laughed loudly. "A beau? Like a boyfriend! At the age of 15?" she chuckled. "No- heavens no- my dad carried me. Get your head out of the gutter, Greenleaf."

Legolas gave her a confused look. "Why would my head be in a gutter?" he asked seriously.

Katie couldn't stop the smile that rose on her lips. "It's an expression. It means quit thinking dirty thoughts."

"There are a lot of weird expressions like that where I come from," she realized aloud.

"Like 'holy shit'?" Legolas asked pleasantly.

Katie felt her eyebrows shoot up. Way up. She could _not_ believe he had just said that. Everything sounded so much better when he said it in his soft, silky voice. She was surprised he was talking to her at all, let alone joking around with her.

She grinned wickedly. "Do they have an elf-word for that?" she asked, and was shocked and pleased to hear him laugh.

It was a true laugh, a beautiful laugh. It lit up his whole face. It made him glow.

"You should laugh more often," she whispered without thinking.

His face automatically turned serious again. "Why did your dad carry you?" he asked, in attempt to steer the conversation back.

Katie closed her eyes, remembering that day so long ago. They had been at the lake and she had slipped and fallen, hitting her head against the boat. "I got hurt," she whispered. "He carried me and complained that I weighed a ton." She smiled sadly at the memory.

"I am sorry if my questioning has upset you," Legolas apologized gently, noting the look of sadness in her eyes.

"It hasn't," she lied, "I think I can walk now," she added boldly. For some reason, she couldn't think properly when he was so close.

Wordlessly, he stopped walking and sat her on her feet. Katie could feel the cold air clinging to where his arms had been; she wondered if he could feel it as well.

"Thank you for carrying me, Legolas." She whispered as her eyes found his face. His blue eyes met hers hesitantly.

"You are welcome," he replied politely, and with out another word, walked away.

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A/N:

Well, here's chapter 12. Hope everyone likes it. Is everyone keeping up with the story? You'd better be…

How did you like getting a little peek inside Legolas' mind?

Expect update soon.

Thanks to my bold beta The Hobbit Ivy!

Katie-sue


	13. Chapter 13: Questions & Promises

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 13: Questions & Promises**

The further they walked back down the mountain, the more the snow thinned out. By the time they had stopped for the night the ground was dry and even the flurries had stopped. Katie distanced herself away from the group and began to eat her small ration of dinner. She thought she had made it fairly clear she wanted to be left alone, so was surprised when Gandalf walked up and sat down beside her.

"You know our future." He stated, getting straight to the point.

Katie didn't see a reason to lie. "Yes."

He turned and bent his head closer. "Then you must promise not to tell anyone."

Katie gaped at him. "What! I cannot promise _that_! _That_ is the whole reason I'm here!"

Gandalf looked back at the group. "Then you must promise not to tell anyone about my death."

Her mouth literally fell open. "You know!" She nearly shouted. Everyone turned to look at her, puzzled at her outburst. Katie just smiled lamely and waved.

"Quiet," Gandalf hissed, giving her a stern, rather fatherly look.

"Yes, I know," he continued once he was certain no one was listening. "And I know there is a reason for everything. That is why you mustn't tell _anyone_ about my death."

A million thoughts flooded her head. She knew Legolas and the others would be furious if she knew and didn't tell. It put her right back in the same position as before. "Damn it," she growled. She hated making decisions without time to think it through.

"Alright," she said finally. "I won't tell anyone about your…you know." She really wasn't comfortable talking to the wizard about his own death. '_Damn it._'

Gandalf rose to his feet and gave her a fatherly pat on the head. "Don't worry, he will forgive you."

Katie studied her hands as he walked away wondering what, or rather who, he was talking about. '_Did he mean Legolas_?' she wondered. Could he see into her mind and read her thoughts? If so, she was in deep crap.

She looked up, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized Legolas was standing right in front of her.

"Damn elves," she muttered under her breath, annoyed at being caught off guard.

His mouth curved down into a frown. "I need to talk with you," he said softly, holding out a hand for her.

Katie allowed him to pull her to her feet and followed him away from the group. They where definitely too far away to be heard, but he whispered regardless.

"Tell me what will happen."

She sighed. These questions were getting old fast.

"Alright," she said thinking for a minute. "I will tell you some now, and more later."

"Why?" He asked, his eyes searching her face. When he realized she wasn't going to answer, he reached out and took her hand. "Alright," he agreed. "Tell me what you will."

Katie pulled her hand from his grasp and sat down on a large rock. She couldn't think when he was touching her. She didn't want to forget any important details.

After another minute, she began:

"We will reach the mines, and Gandalf won't be able to figure out the password. Frodo will figure it out and the doors will open just as the Guardian is awakening-."

"What is the Guardian?" Legolas spoke up.

Katie shot him an annoyed look. "Do you want to hear what's going to happen or not?" He nodded. "Then don't interrupt me."

"Anyways," she said dramatically. "Where was I- oh yes- the Guardian. We will go into the mines and find the skeletons of dwarf warriors killed by goblins. Everybody will try to exit the "tombs" as Boromir calls them, and will get stopped by a large squid like creature- the Guardian." She gave him a pointed look.

"Frodo will be captured and cut down by Aragorn. Everyone will rush inside as the doors cave in- leaving only one option. 'We must face the long, darkness of Moria.'" She quoted Gandalf.

He looked at her for a full 30 seconds. "Is that all?"

Katie nodded. "That is all I can tell you for now. I will tell you more after we enter Moria." '_Hopefully I will think of what to tell you by then._' She added in her head. "I want you to promise me that you won't try to change anything."

"Why?" He asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Katie sighed. "Because I'm afraid if you do, it will change _everything_."

He nodded once, curtly. "Have you told anyone else what you know?"

"No, and I don't plan to if that's okay with you."

Legolas turned and captured her gaze, his intense blue eyes flashing with emotion. "I promise." His voice was lower and huskier than normal, and Katie felt a shiver run through her.

"Good," she stood up, suddenly feeling flustered. "We'd better get back before Gimli gets the wrong idea."

Legolas grinned, making her heart flip. "The dwarf always has his head in the gutter." He joked. Both of them laughed as they walked back towards camp.

Once there, Katie walked over and sat next to Aragorn on one side of the fire. Legolas sat next to Gimli on the other side. Boromir and Gandalf stood on the outskirts of the camp, keeping watch. Katie noticed the hobbits had already went to bed for the night and breathed a sigh of relief. '_Maybe I can actually have a conversation without awkward questions,_' she hoped.

She had a discussion with Aragorn a record two minutes before Gimli spoiled it.

"You two were certainly gone a long time out there by yourselves." He turned to Legolas. "What were you doing with the poor lass?"

Legolas shot him an annoyed look. "Nothing."

Gimli couldn't resist a chance to tease the elf. "Nothing you say?" He turned to Katie. "Do you not like the tall lanky fellows then?"

Katie looked across the fire at the dwarf. '_How am I suppose to reply to that_?' she wondered. '_Why_ _can't I have **one** normal conversation?_'

"Eye-," Gimli continued, rumbling with laughter. "I bet she likes short, stout men like me."

"Have you been drinking Gimli?" She asked seriously, and heard Aragorn choke back a laugh.

"No, he's been smoking too much pipe weed." Aragorn said with a grin. "It is very relaxing, and can cause some to lose their tongues." He gave Gimli a pointed look.

"Is that what's in there?" Katie asked curiously, motioning to the pipe Aragorn held. The ranger nodded.

"Can I try some?"

Legolas cleared his throat loudly. "I do not think pipe weed is for women."

Katie gave him her meanest scowl. "I am no ordinary woman."

"That's the truth." Gimli muttered.

Aragorn looked from her to Legolas, then back again before handing her the pipe.

She held the tip to her mouth and inhaled deeply, nearly dropping the pipe on the ground as coughs racked her body.

"Holy shit," she gasped- making both Aragorn and Gimli laugh.

She grinned as her eyes watered and took another, smaller puff. "Where I come from we call this marijuana. This is a lot stronger-," she added, taking another puff. "Not to mention it is illegal where I come from." She took one last hit and handed the pipe back to Aragorn.

"And to answer your question Gimli, I would never be with a man shorter than me." Katie wasn't sure why she told him this. Suddenly she wasn't embarrassed.

"To bad," Gimli grumbled. "You don't know what you're missing."

Katie laughed, feeling freer than she had in a long time.

"What kind of a fellow are you looking for then?" Gimli asked curiously.

She had to think a minute before answering. What kind of man _did_ she want? "He has to be tall." That was a must. "I like men skinny and muscled." She was starting to get into this. "I want a man who works hard, and doesn't lie to me. A man who lets me be as independent as I want and won't slap me around. Plus, he has to be really good in bed."

Katie slapped her hand over her mouth. She really hadn't meant to say that.

Everyone's eyebrows shot up. "See what I mean about loosened tongues?" Aragorn asked with a grin.

Gimli was laughing so hard it was a minute before he could talk. "Is that it?" he asked when he finally caught his breath. "What about hair color or maybe you prefer a certain race of fellows."

"I don't care about either," Katie said honestly, still embarrassed at her 'loosened tongue'.

Legolas looked at her skeptically. "So you would marry a dwarf- or a hobbit?"

"As long as he was taller than me and loved me, race wouldn't matter," she answered over Gimli's grumblings.

"You'll have a hard time finding a dwarf or hobbit taller than you lass," Gimli growled. "Looks like you're stuck with elves or men."

"Good thing I don't plan on getting married." She said with a smile.

Aragorn looked at her curiously. "I thought all women wanted the conveniences of marriage."

Katie felt a womanly indignation rise up within her. "Maybe its different here in Middle Earth, but where I'm from a woman doesn't have to get married to experience the conveniences it offers. I sure as hell will never marry for convenience."

"So you would not marry a human, or an elf?" Legolas spoke up, sounding mad.

Katie shrugged, unfazed by his anger. "I am not saying I will never marry. Never is a strong word. I just won't marry for anything less than love. I want a man who treats me as an equal and loves me for who I am, not how convenient I am. I don't want to marry someone who thinks he is better than me and I refused to be owned. I don't think many men can do that."

"Especially not here," she muttered, seeing their blank stares.

She sighed. It was so exhausting talking to men. "I think it's time for bed."

Aragorn quickly agreed and prepared his bed while Gimli grumbled about 'good fun'.

Katie laid out her bedroll and went through her nightly ritual of removing her belt and boots and combing through her hair with her fingers. She untied her cloak and covered herself up before quickly pulling off her pants and folding them under her belt. Once she was done with this she lay on her side, snuggled up into the cloak to keep warm and waited for sleep to come.

It was a good half hour until she slipped into a deep slumber.

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A/N: What does everyone think? Did I update quick enough for you…no?...too bad.

Thanks to all my faithful readers for keeping up with my story. Love You All.

Katie-sue


	14. Chapter 14: Happenings in the Night

**A Stranger In The Woods**

Chapter 14: Happenings in the Night

Katie awoke several hours later, drenched in sweat despite the freezing temperatures and desperately needing to pee. She stood up, trying to decide if going to the bathroom in the middle of the night required putting her pants and boots on. "To hell with it," she muttered under her breath. She would be right back anyway.

She tiptoed past the sleeping bodies towards a group of boulders in the distance. No one appeared to be awake, but it was better not to chance being caught with her pants down. Sharp rocks pressed into the bottoms of her feet and she cursed herself for not slipping on her boots.

"Ouch," she growled, muttering to herself as she walked. Finally, she reached the rocks and found one large enough to hide behind. She looked around to make sure no one was watching and then relieved herself.

After she finished, she quickly pulled up her underwear and stood, feeling 100 better. She began walking back towards the group but only made it half way when a large hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Katie swallowed a scream, not wanting to wake the men and receive a lecture. She spun around and came face to face with Boromir.

'_Oh crap_,' she thought, her heart sinking faster than lead. She wondered if it was too late to scream.

"Follow me," the man growled; a small knife glistened in his hand. "And don't even think about screaming."

'_Shit_.' She had no option but to follow him away from the group. '_Maybe_,' she thought hopefully, '_I can convince him I'm not a spy_.'

She was still trying to work out what to say when he shoved her back against a boulder, using both hands to effectively pin her against the cold, hard rock.

"You venture far from the camp," he whispered, sounding out of breath.

"Let me go. I've already told you, I am _not_ a spy."

Boromir grinned. "Oh, I've figured that out. I just wonder what exactly you are." He slid his hand down the front of her shirt and Katie sucked in a breath.

Her mind fought to grasp his words. He knew she wasn't a spy. So why was he bothering her? Unless he thought…

Boromir chuckled and continued to run his hand down her body, over her bare legs.

"I am here to help the group. Nothing more. Whatever you think of me, you're wrong." She tried unsuccessfully to keep the quiver from her voice.

Boromir brought one hand up and undid the top button of her shirt. "If I am wrong, than why are you out here dressed like this?"

He unbuttoned another. Then another. Katie fought against him, suddenly furious. His hands immediately went back to her shoulders and the feel of the knife against her skin caused her to still.

"I shouldn't matter what I wear." She hissed, too angry to be silent. "If you were any kind of gentleman, you wouldn't be standing here groping me like a whore."

His right hand slid down and Katie gasped as he pressed the cold metal blade against her breast.

"And your elf Prince, is he a gentleman?" Boromir asked with a grin. "Because I see the way he looks at you. I see how all the men look at you."

"How?" Katie whispered, afraid to ask.

"Like you might be some fun if the road gets lonely," he hissed. His hands slithered all over her body. "Like you might provide a nice distraction."

She spit in his face. "I will never be your fun and I sure as hell won't be your distraction."

He pressed his knife against her angrily and Katie felt a drop of blood trickle down her chest. She didn't care. She was beyond caring. She shoved against him as hard as she could, forcing him to stumble backwards.

"Don't you ever touch me again," she hissed, so angry she was seeing red.

"Or what?" He regained his balance and took a step closer to her. "What's going to happen to me if I touch you?"

"I'll-." That was as far as she got before a figure appeared behind Boromir and yanked him backwards into the darkness.

She stood there frozen with shock, hearing the unmistakable sounds of fists hitting flesh. A movement to her right broke her trance and she took off running as if the flames of hell were licking at her feet. She didn't care about the rocks that cut into her soles, or the burning from her chest. All she cared about was getting back to the group as quickly as possible. Getting away from Boromir.

In the back of her mind she wondered who her savior was, but all thoughts flew from her head as she tripped over an uneven patch of ground and landed flat on her face. She scrambled to her feet and began to run again, ignoring the flaring pain in her leg from the fall. Suddenly, strong arms caught her from behind, pulling her to a stop. Katie opened her mouth to scream, and was silenced as a large hand clamped over her mouth.

She went crazy, kicking and screaming; struggling with everything she had, trying to free herself. All she could think about was being raped, and the knife. She bit down as hard as she could.

"Ouch!" It was Legolas. He tightened his grip around her. "I'm not going to hurt you, so quit fighting me." His voice calmed her more than anything else would.

Katie collapsed against him, nearly sobbing with relief. He removed his hand from her mouth and slowly lowered her to the ground.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, twisting her body around to look at her face.

She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. She was precariously close to tears and didn't want to lose it in front of him.

His blue eyes bore into hers, searching her soul. Katie was suddenly aware of how close they were; one arm held her tightly around her waist and the other was resting on her bare leg. She looked down and gasped when she realized her shirt was still unbuttoned, exposing the tops and sides of her breasts.

Legolas followed her gaze and suddenly let her go- jumping back as if burnt. He sprang to his feet and abruptly turned away.

Her shaky fingers fumbled with the buttons as she felt a hot blush creep up her cheeks. This was beyond humiliation. She finally finished and rose to her feet, taking several deep breaths to calm herself.

"What were you doing so far from camp?" He asked, back still turned.

Katie rolled her eyes at his angry tone. She knew he'd bring that up.

"I can hear you rolling your eyes," he snapped, spinning back around to face her.

Katie bit her lip to keep from smiling. "I'm sorry."

She couldn't resist. "The reason I was so far from camp was because I didn't want you to listen to me going to the bathroom with your super elf ears."

Legolas narrowed his eyes, not amused. "You should be glad I heard something or Boromir would have raped you."

Immediately she turned serious, realizing he was right. She didn't know if Boromir would have gone so far as to rape her, but he sure as hell scared her.

"I'm sorry, "she whispered, feeling like a jerk. "Thank you for…everything." She turned and began to walk back towards camp.

Legolas reached out and lightly grabbed her by the arm. "I did not mean to lecture." He said softly, keeping pace beside her.

They walked back to the group in silence. Legolas led her to his bedroll and made her sit. "Wait here," he whispered. He walked over to where Bill was tied and removed some cloth and a healing ointment from a small leather pack.

He knelt beside her, studying the cut on her leg. Gently, he dabbed the wound with the cloth, cleaning away the dirt and blood.

"This might sting a bit," he warned. He dipped a finger into the balm and carefully spread it over the cut. Katie barely noticed the pain. All her concentration was on him and the feel of his fingers caressing her bare skin. She was all too aware of how close he was, and how little she wore.

He wrapped a bandage around her leg and looked up at her with a frown. "Your chest is bleeding also," he stated, unsure of what to do.

"Oh," Katie squeaked. Just when she thought things couldn't get worse- _poof_- they did. Feeling mortified, she opened her shirt, keeping herself as covered as possible.

Legolas stared at her chest for a full 3 seconds. Katie counted. Then he blinked twice and quickly cleaned the blood with his cloth.

"You should wear more to sleep in," he said quietly, his voice tight. He placed more ointment on his fingers and slowly spread it down her cut.

Katie shivered at the sensation, watching him as he expertly refastened the buttons of her shirt. Boromir's cruel words echoed in her head. 'Like you might provide a nice distraction.' She shivered again, for a completely different reason. '_I wonder if Legolas thinks of me as a distraction._' Oh, she knew she wasn't a distraction to him in the way Boromir meant, but she wondered if he thought she was a distraction to the others.

She had to ask. "Legolas…" He looked up at her and Katie felt her mouth go dry. She hated the effect he had on her. He made her breath quicken and her heart race. It always seemed to happen at the most inconvenient times. They would be standing there talking about something boring and suddenly he would tilt his head to the side and Katie would realize again- like a punch in the gut- how _damned_ handsome he was.

It was terribly annoying, not to mention distracting. '_There's that word again_.' Building up her nerve, she raised her chin, forcing the words from her lips. "Do you…do you think I distract the others?"

He regarded her hesitantly, carefully masking his emotions. "Distract how?"

"You know," Katie muttered, feeling a blush heat her cheeks. "Do you think any of the others are distracted…by me being female?"

"Why?" His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Did Boromir say something?"

She sighed. "He just said that all the men saw me as nothing but a distraction in case the road got lonely."

Legolas looked away. "I don't think _all_ the men are distracted," he said slowly.

"But you think some of them are?"

He gave her a wry look. "I think it's safe to say that Merry and Pippin are."

She smiled despite her nervousness. "Now that I think about it, there isn't much of a list. I can definitely rule out the hobbits and Gimli." She giggled. "And I don't think Gandalf will be a problem."

He smiled, and she continued. "Boromir is the only other person besides you and Aragorn and-."

He looked away quickly and Katie felt her eyes widen. Did he think Aragorn saw her like that? '_Surely not…but maybe,' _she thought, noticing how uncomfortable he looked.

"I would watch how you dress from now on," he said stiffly, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"So, you think Aragorn is interested in me…like that?" She whispered incredulously.

Legolas wouldn't look at her. "I do not know. I think you should go back to bed."

'_That's it_?' She thought desperately, '_that's all he's gonna tell me. I don't know. What kind of answer is that_?'

She opened her mouth to ask him but he cut her off.

"Goodnight." It was more of an order than a comment.

"Goodnight," she replied standing and walking to her own bedroll. She knew him well enough to know when he was done talking about something. '_I _will_ get to the bottom of this_,' she vowed silently before rolling over and falling into a dreamless sleep.

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A/N: Well, I'm back from a long vacation. I hope everyone isn't too mad at the wait. Expect more updates soon. I promise. Let me know what you think about the Boromir situation. I know I made him out to be a bad guy, but he redeems himself. I hope nobody is too mad…

I was very nervous about this chapter, so I hope I did an okay job. A big thanks to my brilliant beta The Hobbit Ivy for all her hard work. Keep it up!

Chapter 15 soon-

Katie-sue


	15. Chapter 15: The Road to Moria

**A Stranger In The Woods**

Chapter 15: The Road to Moria

Katie opened her eyes the next morning and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Aragorn's face hovering inches from her own. She sat up and looked around frantically. "What happened? Did something happen?"

Aragorn smiled. "Nothing. We let you sleep longer than normal. I was assigned the task of waking you."

"Oh," she muttered. Really, she couldn't be _that_ hard to wake up. They made it sound like a chore. She frowned, realizing Aragorn was still looking at her. Staring at her, rather. Intensely staring at her; searching for something.

"He told you?" She shouldn't even have to ask. The answer was written all over his face.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"He told you?" She repeated, more for her sake than his. She couldn't believe Legolas would tell him. Especially after their conversation last night.

"He had to," Aragorn said simply. He motioned to where Boromir was standing. "He had to explain _that_."

Katie looked over at the man and noticed he was sporting a rather nasty looking black eye. "Oh."

"I'll be ready to go in three minutes," she promised, jumping out of bed and slipping on her boots. She had put her pants back on last night before falling asleep. You couldn't be too careful.

She pulled her hair into a loose braid and was attempting to tie her cloak around her neck when a voice stopped her short.

"What do you suppose happened to him?" It was Pippin.

She looked up and was startled to find him some 20 feet away, talking to Merry.

A frown darkened her face. '_Katie, you're losing it,_' she thought, feeling unnerved.

The next voice she heard was Gimli's. "Are you going to tell me what happened elf, or do I have to guess?"

She spun around and felt her jaw drop. Legolas and Gimli were standing at the very edge of camp- a good 35 feet away.

"I do not wish to discuss it." She heard Legolas snap in an irritated voice.

'_Oh my God. How am I hearing them_?' She wondered desperately. Maybe she hit her head last night harder than she thought.

"So, does she like you as much as you like her?" Gimli asked, rumbling with laughter.

Katie turned away, not wanting to eavesdrop but unable to stop.

"Drop it dwarf." Legolas all but growled. Gimli just laughed harder.

Panicked, Katie threw on her backpack and walked over to where Aragorn and Gandalf were waiting.

"I'm ready," she said loudly, anxious to stop the conversations around her.

It worked. Everyone quickly made their way towards them and they started off in blissful silence. It lasted a whole minute.

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Two hours later Katie was ready to jump off a cliff. Her hearing, instead of returning to normal like she had hoped, actually appeared to be getting worse. Or better, as was the case. Every sound, every voice, every crunch of the stones under her boots seemed to be amplified until she thought her head would positively explode.

'_Why is this happening to me_?' She wondered miserably. Her head throbbed, and she seriously pondered the idea of a brain tumor. That would explain her headache, but not her sudden acute hearing. More than likely, her headache had resulted from all the conversations she had listened to in the past 120 minutes:

Gandalf had talked to Aragorn about Moria.

Aragorn to Boromir about the weather.

Boromir to Merry about his sword.

Merry to Pippin from topics ranging from boring to bizarre.

Pippin to Frodo about lunch.

Frodo to Sam about the Shire.

Sam to Gimli about his braids.

Gimli to Legolas about her,

Finally, Legolas answered several of Gandalf questions. He seemed quieter than normal, if that was possible.

'_Is this what it's like for him?_' she wondered, thinking of the elf. If so, it was a miracle he was still sane. Hearing every single sound was enough to make anyone crazy, let alone someone like Legolas who was already weird.

She paused in mid-step as a new realization dawned on her. If she could hear Legolas from 35 feet away then chances where he could hear her. If that were the case, he would have heard almost every single conversation she'd had.

"Oh, crap," she muttered, remembering all the times Gimli had teased her about the elf. Now she was glad she hadn't admitted to anyone the small crush she had on him.

'_What would he have done if he heard that?_' She wondered. He would have probably been mortified at the thought of a human lusting over him. The thought was beyond embarrassing.

Gimli appeared beside her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"You are awful quiet today lass. Rough night last night?"

She snapped.

"Listen dwarf, I'd appreciate it if you left me alone. Especially," she added with a growl "About this nonsense of me and Legolas. Just cut the crap. It's never going to happen- NEVER!"

Gimli looked taken-aback. "There's no need to get upset," he bustled. "I was just teasing you a bit."

"Well don't," she hissed, then walked off and left him standing there, gaping at her.

Aragorn grabbed her arm as she passed, pulling her to a stop. "Is everything alright? You look pale."

"Yes," she grunted, rolling her eyes. '_How many fathers do I need?_'

He continued to stare at her. "Are you sure, because we can rest if you need to."

"I'm fine," she snapped, then gave him an apologetic smile. "I just have a killer headache." As if to prove her point, she massaged her head.

He reached into his vest and pulled out a rolled up leaf. He unwrapped it, revealing what appeared to be a small twig.

"Try this." He handed her the bark. "It is known to relieve head pain."

Katie studied the twig skeptically. "I'm supposed to eat this?"

"No, just chew it…Trust me," he added, smiling before walking back to the front of the group.

She looked down at the bark in her hand and shrugged. What did she have to lose?

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Two hours later Katie was ready to jump off a cliff. Again. Her hearing had gradually returned to normal, her headache was gone and she felt like a complete cad. She winced, recalling how she'd snapped at nearly everyone in the group. Especially Gimli. She knew she owed him an apology. She also knew he wasn't the type to accept it graciously.

'_Here goes nothing_.' She thought with a smirk as she made her way to where Gimli and Legolas were chatting.

"What do_ you_ want?" Gimli growled when she began walking beside him.

She shot Legolas a pleading look. "Can you give us a minute?" He walked away wordlessly.

"Look," she said, kneeling down beside him. "I'm sorry about earlier."

His frown didn't change.

"I had a terrible headache and it made me grumpy." She explained.

Still no change.

"Please Gimli, don't be mad." She pleaded.

Still no change.

She sighed. There was only one thing left to do.

"If you forgive me," she whispered, regretting the words even as she said them, "I will tell you what happened last night."

Gimli smiled immediately. "In that case, you're forgiven," he said with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

Katie groaned as she rose to her feet, not wanting to tell the dwarf, but unable to find a way around it.

"If I tell you, will you stop teasing me about Legolas?" She asked hopefully.

"Not a chance," Gimli growled, then listened with a growing smile as she quickly relayed the facts. She left out her and Legolas' conversation, knowing the dwarf was liable to twist it around and make it into something it wasn't.

"Sounds like the elf is jealous," Gimli said after she finished. Katie rolled her eyes. '_I knew it_.'

"Gimli, you know that had nothing to do with it." He looked doubtful. Katie was still trying to convince him when they stopped for lunch.

"You think whatever you want dwarf," she muttered, walking away and finding a spot on the grass away from the others. She heard him chuckle and knew the situation was hopeless. Never mind the fact that Legolas hadn't talked to her or so much as glanced at her all day. Gimli was convinced there was something going on between them.

Katie looked over at the elf and frowned. He was standing on the other side of the group, carefully inspecting his arrows. She wondered if he was mad about last night, or just annoyed. '_Of course he could be embarrassed_,' she thought, but dismissed the idea. She couldn't see Legolas getting embarrassed over anything, let alone her. '_He's probably still mad_.'

Her eyes scanned the group and came to a stop on Aragorn. She really wanted to talk to him about the comment Legolas had made last night. She didn't think the ranger thought of her like that, but perhaps she was wrong. It was known to happen occasionally.

Abruptly, she rose to her feet and walked over to the man. She had to know.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked kindly when she stopped in front of him.

She nodded, shifting her feet uncomfortably. "I need to talk to you," she whispered as quietly as possible.

Aragorn looked confused. "Alright, why don't you sit?" He motioned to the rock beside him.

Katie threw a cautious glance at Legolas, who appeared to be studying the sky.

"I need to talk to you…privately," she said with a blush.

Frowning, the ranger stood and walked with her until they were a good distance away from the group.

"Is something the matter?" He asked, looking concerned. "Is your headache worse?"

"No," she assured him. "It's much better, thank you. I just wanted to ask you something and…and it's rather embarrassing."

Aragorn grabbed her hand reassuringly. "You know you can ask me anything, Katie."

Her cheeks flamed. "Yes…well…it's rather…uh…private…and I just…well, that's to say…I wanted to know…I wanted to ask…how you…I wanted to know how you felt about me," she blurted out finally.

Aragorn dropped her hand immediately, looking shocked. "I see you as a friend." He said, blinking rapidly. "I…ah…I apologize if I have made you think…" It was his turn to stutter.

Katie let out a long sigh of relief. "I don't think that," she assured him. "I could never be more than friends with you. I'm glad you feel the same way."

Aragorn smiled in relief, then gave her a puzzled look. "May I ask what prompted these questions?"

Katie quickly told him what Legolas had said and listened to him laugh as she finished.

"I think Legolas is the one who is distracted," Aragorn said with a grin, taking her arm and leading her back towards the group.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Now you sound like Gimli," she muttered.

Aragorn laughed again. "Maybe we can see you two better than you can see yourselves."

He turned towards her, pulling her to an abrupt stop. "Maybe you were sent here for _him_."

Katie scoffed. "I doubt that!"

She frowned, realizing he was serious. "The idea is crazy."

"Why is that?" Aragorn said, sounding rather offended.

"Because," Katie said, fumbling for a reason. There were 1,000 reasons why the idea was preposterous. She decided to name the main one. "Legolas is nearly perfect," she whispered, not wanting the elf-in-question to hear. "The thought of him needing anyone, especially someone like me, is ridiculous."

"Perhaps he is lonely." Aragorn stated softly. They both turned and looked at Legolas.

"Lunch is ready!" Merry announced, interrupting any further conversation they might have had.

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A/N: Alright, I updated quickly. Reviews please.

About chapter 14, I am confused as to why people are confused over what happened. For those who can't figure it out, here's my brief synopsis of chapter 14:

Katie wakes up in middle of night, needing to pee. She goes a good distance away from group and finds Boromir. Boromir decides to rough her up a little, touching her and harassing her. (He wasn't going to rape her, only scare her) He tells her that she's a distraction to the group. (remember, Boromir is being manipulated by the evil ring) Legolas hears them and pulls Boromir off Katie. Katie runs back towards the group, trips, and falls- cutting her leg. Legolas grabs her from behind and Katie panics, thinking its Boromir. She hears Legolas voice and relaxes. He leads her back to the camp and puts salve on her wounds. He is upset because she traveled too far from the camp. Katie asks Legolas if he thinks she's a distraction like Boromir said. He doesn't know how to reply. Katie realizes that many of the group wouldn't be interested in her like that, so she says: "That just leaves you and Aragorn and…" Legolas turns away, not wanting her to guess the truth. That HE is distracted by her. Katie thinks his reaction means that he thinks Aragorn is distracted by her. She asks him if he thinks this and he says he doesn't know, closing the conversation. Aragorn is not distracted by Katie. He doesn't like her like that. Legolas just let her think that so she wouldn't guess how distracted he has become when she is around.

PHEW... alright, does everyone understand? If not, e-mail me or something. Expect another update soon. And thanks to my beneficial beta The Hobbit Ivy for all her work.

Katie-sue


	16. Chapter 16: Reaching Moria

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 16: Reaching Moria**

Katie took a plate and went back to her spot on the grass, bothered by the ranger's words. Could it be that Legolas was lonely? The thought had never occurred to her until now. In a way, it made sense. A person could only live so long before craving intimacy with another. Of course, Legolas was an elf. Elves might be different.

She considered this as she ate and wondered why he wasn't married. '_Women must throw themselves at his feet_,' she thought with a smirk. He was handsome _and_ a Prince. They'd be idiots not to.

'_And speaking of being a Prince, doesn't he _have_ to marry?_' She wondered. '_To_ _secure an heir to the throne and whatnot_?'

The thought of some beautiful, perfect Elven woman having Legolas' child make her sick to her stomach. If there was one thing she wanted in life, one thing she wished for above all else, it was to have children. Even just one would be better than none, which Katie knew was the number she was destined to have. She didn't know if she believed in fate, but if it did exist, then fate was cruel. Fate decided to deny her the only thing she'd ever truly wanted: Children.

'_Yes_,' she thought, unable to stop the bitter smile that crept on her face. "_Fate is cruel and life is ironic_." Not that she had found anything ironic in her situation when she discovered at the innocent age of 15 that she couldn't have children. That the reason she hadn't had her period was because she _couldn't_ have her period. She was born without ovaries. The irony wasn't apparent until 8 years later when her mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was dead within months and even in the midst of grieving, Katie could appreciate the irony of it all. Her mom had died from the thing she wanted most. Her ovaries.

Legolas sat down beside her, literally startling her out of her thoughts.

"You look deep in thought," he stated.

Katie shoved a huge bite in her mouth so she wouldn't have to reply. '_I'm glad he can't read my mind._'

"Are you angry with me?" He asked suddenly, sounding rather hurt.

Katie nearly choked on her food. "Me!" She exclaimed, once she was able to swallow. "You are the one who's been ignoring me all day. I think this is the first time you've spoken to me."

Legolas studied his hands, looking properly abashed.

'_He also looks nervous_,' Katie realized with a start. She had never seen Legolas nervous. She shoved the last bite of dinner into her mouth and wondered what was bothering him.

"Why did you and Aragorn go off by yourselves?" He asked suddenly, and this time Katie actually did choke on her food. Legolas clapped her on the back several times until she coughed it up.

"Are you alright?" He asked, looking slightly amused.

Katie sputtered. "For the love of Elbereth, you nearly killed me Legolas!"

She heard him chuckle as she coughed, trying to regain her composure. They were both silent for several minutes.

"You were wrong." She said suddenly. She had to tell Legolas the truth. She couldn't let him go on thinking Aragorn liked her in that way. "Aragorn said he doesn't see me as anything besides a friend."

"You asked him?" Legolas sounded shocked.

"Of course I did. I had to know."

Legolas shook his head. "You never fail to surprise me Miss Bennett," he admitted softly.

She smiled. "And you, Prince, never fail to confuse me." It was true. He was a difficult man to figure out. Or elf as it was.

He turned to her, studying her closely. She pretended not to notice. "What about me confuses you?" He asked seriously. "What do you not understand?"

Katie smiled. '_That's a loaded question._' She wondered how he'd react if she told him the truth. Everything about him made her confused.

"Are you saying I can ask you anything?" She teased, hoping to make him as uncomfortable as possible.

He hesitated. "Ask me what you wish."

'_What I wish?_' she thought with a smirk. He'd be mortified if he knew what she wished. Still, she did have a list questions she wanted him to answer. Questions like: How old are you? How did your mom die? What's you father like? Why did you join the fellowship? How many women have you been with? Have you ever been in love?

Those would have to wait. There was one question she was dying to ask.

"Why aren't you married?" She asked bluntly.

Legolas looked away. "I do not know." He answered honestly. "I suppose I haven't found a woman who I could see myself with for the rest of my life."

Katie took a minute to absorb his words. "So, you haven't ever been in love?"

He gave her a wry look. "I was only able to ask you one question," he reminded her. Katie thought about it. Actually, he had asked her if she was a spy, then he had asked if she truly came from a different place, a different world. He laughed when she told him as much.

"Alright," He turned serious again. "The answer is no. I have not been in love."

"Oh." Katie didn't know why, but she was surprised at his admission. She thought for sure he would have been in love at least once during his long life.

"Have you?" He shocked her with his blunt question.

Just then Gandalf announced it time to continue and Katie let out a breath, glad for the interruption. She started to stand and was halted by a hand on her arm. It was Legolas.

"Have you?" He asked again. He had to know.

She shook his hand off and rose to her feet. "You've already had your two questions." She reminded him with a forced smile.

Legolas frowned as he watched her walk away, his question answered. She might not tell him yes or no, but the under laying hurt and tension in her voice gave him all the answer he needed. Yes, she had been in love before. And whoever it was broke her heart.

He rose to his feet, still frowning, and joined the group.

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They didn't reach the walls of Moria until long after the sun had set. Katie walked behind Gimli as the group searched for the doors.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gimli said proudly as he knocked his axe against the stone.

"Yes Gimli- even there own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten," Gandalf spoke up from the front.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas muttered, loud enough for the dwarf to hear.

Katie laughed as she heard Gimli growl in annoyance. '_It serves him right to get teased after all the things he's done to me._' She didn't bother searching for the door. She knew Gandalf would find it eventually. She _was_ worried about the guardian though, and eyed the black water nervously. '_Maybe I can keep the hobbits from waking it up_,' she hoped.

Sure enough, several minutes later Gandalf spied the door and began wiping the dust and dirt from the edges to get a better look. The moon chose that moment to emerge from behind the clouds and almost magically, the doors appeared, shining brightly. Everyone looked on in fascination as Gandalf translated the writing at the top.

"It reads: The doors of Durin- Lord of Moria- Speak friend and enter."

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked curiously.

"Well, it's quite simple," Gandalf answered. "If you are a friend you speak the password and the doors will open."

He held his staff up to the doors and spoke loudly in a foreign tongue. Everyone held their breath. Nothing happened.

The wizard tried again, using different words. Still nothing.

"Nothing's happening." Pippin said- stating the obvious.

Katie had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. '_That hobbit is going to get in trouble if he doesn't watch it_.'

Gandalf walked to the glowing doors and attempted to push them open. Katie watched him as he stood there, muttering something under his breath. Part of her wanted to yell out the password, anxious to be away from the creature in the water. The other part wondered if things weren't better left alone. '_Everything works out in the end,_' she reminded herself.

'_Well, except for Boromir dying,_' she realized with a frown. '_Maybe things aren't better left alone_,' she argued internally.

"What are you going to do then?" Pippin asked the wizard, oblivious to the frowns he was receiving.

"Knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took, and if that does not shatter them, than I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions."

"I will try to find the opening words," Gandalf sighed, sounding tired.

Katie sat down on a rock, a sick feeling of dread in her stomach. She knew there was nothing else to do except wait for Frodo to solve the riddle. She helped unpack Bill and turn him loose, she even stopped the hobbits from throwing rocks, but still the feeling persisted.

'_It's already awake_,' she realized suddenly. She saw a ripple distort the smooth glassiness of the water and knew she was right. It had been awake all along. Awake and listening, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

She saw Frodo stand and took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was about to happen.

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Legolas twirled his bow absentmindedly as he stared up at the night sky, lost in his thoughts. A part of him wanted to ignore Katie's warnings and look at things rationally. Follow logic as he had his entire life. It simply was not logical that a woman from a different world, as she claimed to be, could know their future. It was not rational that she could know every detail of something that had not happened.

'_Yet, she is not lying._' He knew this instinctively. He saw it in her eyes, heard it in her voice. She was telling the truth. '_At least the truth as she sees it_.' He still had not ruled out the possibility that she might be somewhat crazy.

He glanced over to where she sat, studying her closely. '_She does not appear crazy_,' he thought with a frown. Of course, he had never actually met a crazy person, so he had nothing to judge her against.

'_She looks scared_,' he realized, noticing her large eyes and nervous glances at the water behind them. Just then Frodo spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What's the elvish word for friend?" The hobbit asked Gandalf.

"Mellon," Gandalf answered. Legolas sucked in a breath as the doors began to open. He followed the wizard into the mines cautiously, recalling Katie's words.

"Soon, master elf- you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves." Gimli told him as the made their way inside. "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone!"

"This, my friend is the home of my cousin Balin," the dwarf continued proudly. "And they call it a mine!" Gimli rumbled with laughter. "A mine!"

Gandalf's staff lit up the dark room and Legolas was shocked at what he saw. Skeletons. Dozens of them. Dwarf warriors. He looked over at Katie in amazement- she had known all along.

Boromir spoke. "This is no mine, it's a tomb."

"No!" Gimli cried as he noticed the bodies. "Nooooo!"

Legolas bent and removed an arrow from one of the skeletons. He recognized the marks. "Goblins," he hissed. He quickly threw the arrow to the floor and readied his bow.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan." Boromir said quietly. "We should never have come here."

"Now get out of here," the man cried. "Get out!"

Legolas ran over to Katie and touched her shoulder. She jumped and let out a startled cry. "Stay close to me." He commanded. Thankfully, she didn't argue.

"Aragorn!" Came Sam's cry from outside.

Legolas quickly ran to help the hobbits, his eyes widening as they took in the creature attacking him. '_It is just as Katie described it_,' he realized as he shot an arrow into the beast.

Around him, everyone jumped into action, trying to free Frodo from the monsters grasp. Legolas shot arrow after arrow into its slimy flesh but it still did not release the hobbit.

Aragorn severed the huge tentacles with his sword, not stopping until he chopped Frodo down. Boromir caught the hobbit in his arms and carried him out of the murky water.

"Into the mines!" Gandalf shouted.

"Legolas!" Boromir cried as he ran for the caves. Legolas expertly shot the creature in the head and heard it scream in pain. He turned and helped Frodo to his feet.

"Run!" Someone yelled as the monster crawled after them.

They all ran as fast as they could into the darkness. Legolas found Katie and pulled her close just as the walls collapsed behind them.

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A/N: Well, there to Moria. What do you think? What did you think of Legolas' confession that he had never been in love? Surprised? Look for another chapter soon!

Katie-sue


	17. Chapter 17: Moria

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 17: Moria**

Katie wrapped her arms tightly around Legolas as the darkness engulfed them, her heart pounding hard against her ribs. She was scared out of her wits. She hadn't expected the guardian to be so ugly, so scary. '_So real_.' She pressed her face against Legolas' firm shoulder, trying to control the tremors that shook her body. Up until now, Middle Earth hadn't seemed real. It was just a set on a movie, just a series of images on a screen. Nothing that could hurt her…

Seeing the monster up close and personal had changed all that. Now it was all real. The movie had become a reality. Full of real dangers like orcs and goblins and balrogs. '_And I could really die_,' she realized with a shudder. Legolas placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her slightly closer.

"We now have but one choice," Gandalf whispered, knocking his staff against the hard floor.

Light filled the cave and Legolas immediately dropped his arms, stepping away from her.

"We must face the long dark of Moria," Gandalf stated. "Be on your guard," he warned. "There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."

The group began to walk and Katie stayed as close to the elf as she could, still deep in thought. It sounded weird, but she hadn't counted on the movie becoming real to her. When she first agreed to join the fellowship, she had been caught up in the dream that was Middle Earth. Now, she had finally caught a glimpse of the evil brewing under the surface and she was terrified. The mines were dark and deep- cold and uninviting. Not only was she afraid of heights, but she was somewhat cholosterphobic. She knew she would have to face both fears to make it through Moria. For the first time since the start of the journey, Katie wondered if she had made a mistake. After all, Moria was just the beginning.

"Quietly now," Gandalf whispered. "It is a four day journey to the other side…Let us hope our presence goes unnoticed."

Katie groaned, wondering how she'd ever survive.

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They marched most of the night, over high bridges and around never-ending holes. They climbed up steep stairs and across narrow ledges, the thick smell of death and decay all around them. Katie followed Legolas, focusing her eyes on his back so she wouldn't look around. Or down. She forced herself to breathe through her mouth, trying not to gag. '_I'd give anything for some fresh air,_' she thought as they continued on silently. This was hell on earth.

Legolas looked everywhere as they walked, studying everything around him in fascination. '_He's obviously not afraid_,' she frowned, realizing she had never seen the elf scared. He held his bow loosely in his hand as he walked, but Katie wasn't fooled by his casual appearance, she knew if anything happened he'd be ready in less than a split-second. She was lost in her thoughts and nearly plowed into him when he stopped in front of her.

'_What happened_?' she wondered, fearing the worst. She noticed Gandalf pointing to a wall- bright with some kind of metal and relaxed. '_He's probably just answering one of the hobbits questions_,' she thought with a smirk.

"The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels." Gandalf told the group quietly. "But mithril." He held his staff over the edge and everyone leaned forward to glance at what he was showing them.

Katie looked down and let out a little yelp when she realized how high up they were. She stepped back against the wall, getting as far away from the edge as possible. Legolas shot her a puzzled look.

"What is wrong?" He asked softly when as they began to walk again.

"I'm a little afraid of heights," she muttered, to scared to think of lying. Actually, she was petrified of heights. Even being up several stories made her light-headed and queasy. Being up this high made her feel like she was about to faint. Not to mention puke everywhere.

An amused smile crept onto his handsome face.

"Do you think that's funny?" She hissed, deciding if she did get sick, she'd aim it towards him.

Legolas just grinned, oblivious to her plans. "I thought you were not afraid of anything, Miss Bennett." He whispered teasingly.

Ahead of them Gandalf was telling the hobbits about Bilbo's mithril coat.

"Oh, and you're Mr. Perfect huh?" Katie growled in annoyance.

Legolas turned and met her eyes, looking serious. "There are things I fear," he admitted softly.

"Just not heights," he added with a grin.

Katie couldn't help but smile. "We'll see how afraid you are when I push you over the edge," she threatened.

He gave her a rather pitying look. "You may try, but I must warn you; if I fall, you go down with me."

Katie glanced uneasily at the ledge and pressed herself further against the wall.

It was better not to chance it.

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The next three days were spent walking through the maze of Moria. Katie stayed as close to Legolas as possible, surprised at how much safer she felt when he was near. He would grab her arm reassuringly, helping her make her way over difficult ledges and high bridges so she wouldn't be scared. Each day she grew more accustomed to his nearness, more comfortable with his touch. He seemed to relax more around her as well, quietly joking and teasing her, mostly about her fear of heights. Though she would die before admitting it to him, she rather enjoyed his harmless banter. She loved the fact that he was opening up to her- letting her see the real Legolas beneath the cold, impersonal mask he usually wore.

Katie realized that somehow, despite the arguments and bickering words, they had become friends. She didn't want to give that up. Not when they'd come so far…

'_I wish I could just tell him about Gandalf's death_,' she thought with a weary sigh, her mind only half focused on what she was doing: climbing some impossibly steep stairs.

She slipped and hit her shin against the sharp stone. "Damn it," she cursed, pulled out of her thoughts by the throbbing pain in her leg.

"Haven't you guys ever heard of hand rails?" She growled at Gimli.

"I can't help it if you are not graceful," the dwarf muttered. "Legolas isn't having any problems." He pointed out.

"Oh, shut up," she snapped at Legolas, seeing his smirk.

He turned to her- looking shocked and defensive. "I did not say anything."

"You were thinking it," she growled.

Legolas laughed softly to himself. "I have a feeling Katie does not enjoy the mines." He told Gimli, acting like she wasn't even standing there, listening.

'_He called me Katie_,' she realized suddenly. "That's the truth," she muttered- trying to hide a smile. "All I want right now is some fresh air and sunlight…and maybe a hot bath."

She slipped again and banged her already bruised legs against the stairs. She muttered an incredibly long list of curse words under her breath and saw Legolas frown- indicating he heard.

Thankfully, the stairs soon came to and end- leading up to three doors. Gandalf studied them for a moment in silence as everyone else waited. "I have no memory of this place," he decided finally.

The group sat down to rest, hoping the wizard would remember the way out of the mines. Aragorn and Boromir sat on the top step, smoking their pipes. Pippin complained about being hungry as Gandalf talked to Frodo quietly. Legolas just stood awkwardly by himself, arms crossed over his chest.

Katie sat away from the men, feeling completely exhausted from the lack of sleep she'd been getting. The mines were no place to sleep- too cold, too damp. She yawned and stretched out her legs in an attempt to get comfortable. She felt eyes studying her and knew without looking that it was Legolas. No other man's gaze made her feel the way his did. Hot, tingly, nervous and excited all at once. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against her pack. After a minute she felt someone sit down next to her.

"Hello Legolas," she said without opening her eyes. "I'm guessing you want to know what happens next."

"Yes," he spoke softly.

Katie opened her eyes and grinned as she sat up. "So, I take it you still believe me?"

He nodded.

"Alright," her grin widened. "I will tell you…_IF_ you do two things for me." She had spent the last several days thinking of what to ask for.

Legolas narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Like what?"

"Do you want me to tell you what I know or not?" she demanded. She could be very stubborn when she felt like it.

"Alright," Legolas agreed with a un-elflike sigh. "Tell me what the two things are and I will see what I can do."

Katie gave him a cheeky smile. "Great! First off, I want you to quit teasing me about my fear of heights."

Legolas frowned. "Fine. And the second thing?"

"The second thing is this…I want you to promise me that if you ever get new weapons I can have those." She motioned to the weapons on his back.

"My weapons?" His frown deepened. "Why would I get new weapons?"

"Are you going to promise me or not?" Katie asked, ignoring his questions.

Legolas was silent for a long minute. "Alright," he all but growled. "I will do both things you ask although I do not understand…now, what is going to happen?"

"Not so fast," she said, trying to keep the smile off her face. "First, I want to hear you promise me."

She couldn't wait to see the look on his face in Lothlórien when she reminded him of his promise. '_He'll be so mad_.'

Legolas shot her an annoyed look. "I promise," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"Okay then," she said purposely bubbly. "Now to the future…" She thought for a minute before starting. "Gandalf will realize what door to use and we will walk to the dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf. Gimli will find his cousins tomb and everyone will listen as Gandalf reads from a book. We cannot hold them. We cannot get out. They are coming…Pippin will knock a skeleton down the well and the orcs will attack. They have a cave troll," she whispered. "After we kill it we will run to the bridge of Kaza-dum."

Katie paused, unsure of how to continue. "Something terrible will chase us. A balrog."

Legolas jumped slightly as Gandalf exclaimed from behind them. "Ah! It is this way!"

He studied her intently, searching her face for the truth. "Is there anything else I should know?" He asked in a whisper.

"No," she lied. She couldn't break her promise to Gandalf- no matter how much she wanted to.

He looked into her eyes and nodded once- indicating he believed her. Then sprang to his feet and joined the others.

Katie watched him walk away; letting out a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. _'I hope he forgives me._'

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A/N: Okay, here's the update. Hope everyone likes it. A couple things:

(From the last chapter) Yes, you can be born without ovaries. It is more common than you think.

(From the last chapter) No, Katie is definitely not in love with Legolas at this time. And if she is, she doesn't realize it.

Alright, that's all I can think of. If anyone has any questions, review or e-mail me.

Katie-sue


	18. Chapter 18: Dwarrowdelf

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 18: Dwarrowdelf**

Katie followed the group through the doors and down the long flight of stairs, feeling awful. The realization of what was about to happen mixed with the guilt she felt about lying to Legolas. If only he hadn't asked her if there was anything else she could tell him… She felt helpless, scared, terrified, and a hundred other emotions, but guilt and fear were the top two.

The stairs finally stopped and Katie strained her eyes to see in the half-darkness.

"I think I will risk a little more light," Gandalf muttered, holding his staff up to illuminate the clearing.

Her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness and Katie gasped at what she saw. Hundreds and hundreds of towering pillars, as far as they eye could see. Huge columns, each hand-chiseled from the hard stone. It was amazing.

"Behold the great realm and dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf said dramatically. No words were said as the company gazed in wonder.

Katie looked around in awe, trying to take in the uncharacteristic beauty of the place. It was ten times more magnificent than the movie made it out to be. '_Of course_,' she thought with a smile, '_that could be because I've spent the last few days in what has to be the ugliest place in Middle Earth_.' She could see where her opinion might be biased. Either way didn't matter- she was just happy to be on relatively firm ground again.

A cry of distress broke her thoughts, bringing her back to what was going on around her. Gimli was running towards a small room, ignoring Gandalf's cries to stop.

'_Balin's tomb_,' Katie realized, flooded with sympathy for the dwarf and fear for what was to come. She followed the others and watched helplessly as Gimli ran to the stone grave in the middle of the floor and dropped to his knees.

"No!" he cried, his voice thick with anguish. He rested his helmeted head on the tomb, weeping with his grief for his cousin.

Gandalf walked up behind him and read the words on the tomb aloud. "Here lies Balin- Son of Fundin- Lord of Moria..."

"He is dead then," Gandalf muttered, "it is as I feared."

Gimli moaned in grief as the others circled around him. Katie wished she could do something to help, something to lessen his pain, but knew it was useless. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Gandalf lean over and pick something up. It was the book.

Several pages fell out as he opened it. He blew the dust away as he scanned the writing.

Katie didn't need to be told what it said- she already knew the chilling words by heart.

"They have taken the bridge and the second hall," Gandalf read quietly, holding the company in a breathless spell as he read the disturbing words. "We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long."

Katie wanted to cry out, warn the group that they needed to leave before the orcs found them, but she was frozen in place as Gandalf continued to read.

"The ground shakes…drums…drums in the deep." He turned the page and continued. "We cannot get out…A shadow moves in the dark…we cannot get out…they are coming."

Everyone jumped as Pippin unwittingly knocked the skeleton's head down the deep well.

The loud noise snapped Katie out of her trance. "We have to go," she cried, hurrying to catch the rest of the body before it could slide down also. '_Maybe they didn't hear_,' she prayed fervently, shoving the crumbling bones to the floor.

"Hurry," she hissed to the others, quickly making her way to the doors. She was almost to the opening when a sound stopped her cold. _thump_…_thump…thump_… "Drums." She spoke her thoughts aloud. She turned to Boromir. "Bar the doors now," she ordered calmly, quietly. Surprisingly, he listened, pulling them shut and narrowly missing several orc arrows.

"Get back!" Aragorn ordered Katie and the hobbits. "Stay close to Gandalf."

'_The hell with that_.' There was no way Katie was going to let an old man do her fighting for her. Even if he was a wizard. She looked around at the bodies of the fallen warriors, searching for some kind a weapon. Her eyes landed on a small axe. It was a little rusted, but it looked like it would hold well. "Perfect," she breathed, leaning over to retrieve it. She grasped the handle tightly, preparing to fight.

Everyone stood in position, listening as the orcs beat at the doors.

"Let them come," Gimli growled from his place on top of the tomb. "There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath."

Katie smiled- glad the dwarf was back to his old self. She glanced over at Legolas, who stood with his bow aimed, looking calm and determined. The heavy wood began to splinter apart and Legolas expertly shot an orc through the small opening.

"One down, a million to go," she muttered to herself, watching as Aragorn followed suit.

Suddenly, the doors exploded and the orcs swarmed in. Katie held her breath as she watched Legolas kill one of the creatures with his arrow. He readied another quicker than her eye could follow and killed another.

The hobbits charged forward as the monsters pushed their way past the three men. One of the filthy creatures ran towards Katie and she blindly swung her axe, cutting its head clean off. She only got to admire her handiwork for a second before another orc rushed at her. She swung again, connecting hard with its chest. She watched in surprise as it fell to the floor- dead.

'_I'm a natural_,' she thought, nodding her head proudly. Just then the cave troll smashed into the little room, sending rock and wood debris everywhere.

Katie swung her axe wildly, caught off guard by an approaching orc. '_Pay attention_,' she chided herself, watching as the orc fell to the floor. '_One mistake and you're dead_.' The realization brought her to a level of concentration that she had never experienced before, a raw focus; one of life versus death.

Soon the battle reached full scale, the sound of clanging metal and knives slicing flesh all around her. Katie fought to keep the creatures at bay, wondering if they'd ever stop coming. One smashed into her arm, sending her flying into the stone wall. The force of the impact knocked her axe right out of her hand. It skittered across the floor, coming to rest by the decapitated head of the first orc she had killed.

"Crap," she cried, lunging as one of the hideous creatures made a grab for her. She struggled to her feet, searching desperately for a weapon of any kind. She ducked just in time to avoid being decapitated herself, then panicked, grabbing for the first thing she could find and lobbing it at the creature. The rock hit the orc squarely in the groin and Katie watched in fascination as it let out a pained cry, dropping its sword as it fell to its knees. She blinked twice, then quickly grabbed the blade and shoved it as hard as she could into the monsters chest. '_Talk about kicking a man when he's already down_.' She thought, feeling a little guilty.

She looked around and realized that most of the creatures around her were dead. Relieved, she turned to find Legolas, wondering how he was coming along. Her heart skidded to a stop when she saw him, fighting an orc, unaware of the troll's chain swinging towards him.

"Legolas look out!" She screamed, holding her breath as he turned and ducked- narrowly dodging the blow. The cave troll swung again, and Legolas had to drop to the floor to avoid being hit. He sprang to his feet and jumped back just as the monster attempted another blow. The cave troll cried out in frustration and swung once more, obviously angry at being bested by a quick-moving elf. The chain wrapped itself around a thick pillar, becoming stuck.

Katie stood in place, frozen as Legolas climbed up the metal links and onto the creatures back. He got off one shot, deep into the neck, before being thrown to the hard floor. She watched, amazed, as he dive-rolled on the ground and numbly sprang to his feet, beginning to fight again, evidently unfazed and unhurt.

She was still standing there, gaping, when rough hands grabbed her, pulling her back just as the cave troll smashed its mallet into the ground where she had been standing.

"Thank-." She turned to face her rescuer and her mouth dropped open- cutting off what she was about to say. It was Boromir. Wordlessly, the man released her and began fighting again.

'_He saved my life_,' Katie realized in wonderment, trying to wrap her mind around what just happened. Why would he save her if he hated her? It made no sense.

Before she could think on it too long, another orc attacked, claiming her attention. She fought as hard as she could, killing as many of the foul monsters as possible, all the while trying not to get killed herself. Soon all the creatures were dead except the cave troll.

Katie watched as Merry and Pippin jumped onto its back, fighting the urge to yell at them and tell them to quit horsing around before they got hurt. She watched as Merry was thrown to the ground, providing the opportunity for Pippin to stab the troll in the shoulder.

The monster roared with pain and Legolas saw his chance, quickly firing an arrow through its open mouth and into the troll's brain. The creature groaned, sounding shocked, and began to sway. Everyone backed away as it crashed to the floor- finally dead.

Katie stood over the fallen beast, trying to catch her breath as the others ran to check on Frodo. '_In a few minutes, Gandalf will be dead_,' she realized. '_And everyone will blame me_.'

"Are you hurt?" Legolas asked, walking up beside her.

She looked down at her hands, stained with black orc blood. "A few cuts and scratches, but overall I'm fine."

He reached over and wiped some blood from her face with his thumb. "You fought well," he said softly.

Katie smiled at him, her problems forgotten. "Were you surprised?" she asked teasingly.

"Actually yes," Legolas admitted, "I was uncertain of how you would do."

"So you just threw me in and hoped for the best?" she tried her best to look angry.

"I was watching you," he spoke seriously. "I just did not realize that my protection was unnecessary."

She couldn't help it, she grinned. Those were the words she had been waiting this whole trip to hear. '_Music to my ears_.'

"Well, you learn something new everyday," she replied, mainly because she felt she had to say _something_.

He smiled and opened his mouth to reply when a sound stopped him. A sound neither of them wanted to hear.

The reverberating echo of more orcs approaching.

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A/N: Sorry for the long wait. You can thank my butt-kicking beta The Hobbit Ivy for that one. HAHA! I really don't have anymore to say, so bye.

Katie-sue


	19. Chapter 19: The Balrog

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 19: The Balrog**

"To the bridge of Khazad-dum!" Gandalf cried, heading for the exit.

Legolas grabbed Katie's arm and pulled her behind him as he followed the wizard out the doors and back into the abandoned city. She ran as fast as she could, trying to keep up with the elf as he sprinted around the pillars barely visible in the shadows. The shrill screams of the orcs echoed all around them- making it impossible to pinpoint their location.

"This way," Gandalf ordered, sharply turning to the right.

Katie took the corner and happened to glance up. What she saw nearly stopped her dead in her tracks. Orcs. Hundreds of thousands of them poured out of a hole in the ceiling directly above them.

Legolas yanked her along roughly. "We must keep going," he yelled back at her, but he had slowed down quite a bit.

The group reduced their speed as the orcs advance on them from all sides and were forced to stop as the creatures surrounded them completely. Legolas let go of her arm and readied his bow. Everyone followed suit and drew their weapons. Everyone except Katie. She knew it was useless. She knew what was approaching in the darkness.

Just then a low rumble echoed through the halls. The orcs glanced around nervously and scattered as the noise sounded once more.

Gimli let out a victorious laugh, then grew quiet as he realized his mistake.

The group turned towards the red glow as the monster let out another long growl. The orcs started fleeing in fear, scattering into the darkness. Realization dawned in Legolas' eyes and he slowly lowered his bow. Katie took a step closer towards him.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked Gandalf quietly.

"A balrog," Gandalf whispered, "A demon from the ancient world."

Katie looked up at Legolas and was surprised to see fear shining in his light eyes. She didn't know what scared her more, the Balrog, or the fact that Legolas was _afraid_ of the Balrog.

"This foe is beyond any of you," Gandalf decided. "Run!" He took off towards the stone doors.

The group wasted no time following the wizard through the doors and down some steps. Katie followed behind Boromir as he skidded to a stop when the stairs suddenly ended. She grabbed the man around the waist before he could fall over the edge, and pulled him back as hard as she could. They both landed with a thud on the hard rock step.

Boromir jumped up and helped her to her feet, looking startled. "Thanks," he whispered in what to Katie sounded like appreciation.

"You saved my life earlier," she pointed out softly. He met her gaze, silently asking her for forgiveness, for camaraderie. Katie smiled at him, hoping this was the beginning of a new friendship. The wizard yelled, breaking their moment.

"Do as I say," He ordered Aragorn, running behind them and starting down the other set of stairs. "Swords are no more use here."

Katie followed Boromir as the group climbed down the angled staircase, going as fast as she could without slipping and falling. Legolas cut the corner and jumped beside her, placing a firm hand on the small of her back and leading her over the steep passage. They reached a large gap and the group skidded to a halt.

Legolas paused only a second before leaping to the other side. He landed gracefully and quickly turned, reaching his arms out for her as a signal to jump.

Katie risked a glance over the edge and sucked in a breath. She could not see the bottom. '_No way_.' She shook her head forcefully, too scared to care that she was holding up the group.

"Come on," Legolas said, noticing her reluctance. "I will catch you."

She shook her head again. There was nothing he could say to make her jump.

"Katie." A breath of a whisper.

'_Except that_,' she realized, hearing the soft plea in his voice. Without giving it another thought, she closed her eyes and jumped. For one heart-stopping moment, Katie thought she wasn't going to make it; then she felt Legolas' strong arms around her- catching her. Gently, he placed her to her feet, then turned and reached for Gandalf.

Katie had just gotten her balance when something whizzed by her ear, startling her. She turned her head, confused, and felt the sharp blade of an arrow graze her cheek. "What the—" she muttered, causing Legolas to turn and look at her. He looked at the cut on her cheek, then to the outer walls.

"Goblin archers," he stated. There was no fear in his voice; he could easily kill them. He drew his bow and fired in rapid succession. "Stay down," he ordered before turning and helping the rest of the group.

Katie backed up, keeping her body as close to the gritty stone steps as possible. She watched as Boromir grabbed Merry and Pippin and jumped, just as the ledge collapsed underneath them. Aragorn grabbed Sam and threw him to the man while Legolas turned and shot several more of the goblins.

"Nobody tosses a dwarf," Gimli growled stubbornly, then attempted the jump. Legolas had to grab his beard to keep him from falling backwards off the edge. "Not the beard!" Gimli yelled as the elf pulled him and his beard to safety. The ledge crumbled even more- leaving Frodo and Aragorn trapped.

"Hold on!" Gandalf yelled as the balrog growled loudly in the distance. The piece they were standing on broke, and began to sway.

"Lean forward," Katie shouted, knowing it was their only chance to make it. She watched as they both leaned forward and the piece slowly began to fall towards where the group was standing.

"Come on," Legolas hissed, opening his arms to catch them. The two jumped to safety as the piece fell and smashed to the ground. Everyone turned and raced down the rest of the stairs.

"Over the bridge," Gandalf shouted as they reached an open hall. Hot flames towered behind them. "FLY!" He screamed.

Katie ran as fast as she could, following Gimli, feeling Legolas right behind her. She looked back just as the flames exploded and the balrog appeared. '_This is bad_,' she thought, dizzy with fear. She turned back around and nearly fainted when she spied the impossibly narrow bridge up ahead. The bridge they were about to cross. '_This is_ really_ bad_.'

Legolas grabbed her arm, pulling her against his chest as the others crossed one by one. "We will cross together," he whispered, his hot breath against her cheek. He reached down and took her hand in his. "Do not let go."

He waited until Gimli was on the other side before slowly leading her across. Katie held on to his hand for dear life, forcing herself not to look down as they walked. It seemed to take forever to make it across. Once on safe ground, she reluctantly released his hand, knowing she wouldn't be holding his hand anytime soon after he found out she knew about Gandalf's death and didn't tell.

"You cannot pass!" The wizard yelled at the monster.

Katie wanted to close her eyes, block out what was going on around her. Block out all she knew was going to happen. She heard Frodo yell Gandalf's name. Scared. Pleading. Desperate. The balrog rose to its full height, spouting fire from every crevice of its terrifying body.

"I am a servant of the secret fire," Gandalf yelled, "wielder of the flame of Anor." He held up his staff, emitting a brilliant white light. "The dark fire will not avail you- flame of Udun."

The balrog swung its flame-sword at the wizard but was stopped by the white light.

"Go back to the shadow," Gandalf hissed.

The monster took a step towards him and cracked the fiery whip menacingly over its head.

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" Gandalf screamed as he slammed down both his staff and sword into the hard stone by his feet. The bridge split in two, crumbling under the balrog. Everyone watched as the monster fell into the darkness, breathing a sigh of relief.

"No!" Katie screamed, unable to contain it any longer. She couldn't allow this to happen. All promises and reasoning flew out of her head as she charged forward. All she could think was she needed to save the wizard. She couldn't let him die.

Strong arms caught her from behind and refused to let her go despite her struggles. "No!" she screamed again.

She watched helplessly as the whip reappeared and gripped Gandalf's leg, pulling him off the ledge. She watched as he tried to pull himself up and failed. It seemed surreal to her. Like a bad dream she needed to wake up from.

He struggled a moment, looking panicked, then looked at the group. "Fly, you fools," he whispered, then disappeared silently over the edge.

She went limp in Legolas' arms, feeling dazed. Unfeeling. '_I should have stopped it_,' she thought numbly. Frodo's cries of grief sounded distant to her ears. Too far away to matter. Her mind shut down with shock. She didn't even notice as Legolas threw her over his shoulder and carried her up the stairs, into the bright sunlight.

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	20. Chapter 20: To Lothlorien

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 20: To Lothlórien**

Once they were outside and a good distance away from the caves, Legolas tossed Katie unceremoniously to the ground. He turned to her, showing more emotion than she had ever seen.

"Why did you not tell me?" He hissed, glaring at her, anger burning bright in his blue eyes.

Katie stared at the ground, unable to find her voice. She still felt a numb detachment from the whole situation. It seemed like she was in a murky dream.

"You lied to me," Legolas continued, too upset to notice her disconnection. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to her feet. "Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded, shaking her back and forth roughly. "Why?"

He shook her once more, his fingers digging painfully into her skin. Finally, he let her go, watching emotionless as she fell back to the ground. "You are a fool." He whispered, looking down on her with disgust. "I could have saved him."

Katie watched him walk away, feeling tears burn at the back of her eyes. Suddenly the gravity of what had just happened hit her full force. Gandalf was dead and it was her fault. Everyone hated her, most of all Legolas, whom she had lied to. She raised her head and looked around the group, unable to stop the hot tears running down her cheeks. All of the hobbits had thrown themselves to the ground and were crying in grief and she knew she was to blame.

Gimli was swearing revenge on the balrog while Boromir held him back. '_And I'm to blame_," she though, choking back a sob.

Legolas stood in the middle of it all, looking around as if lost. There was a deep hurt and pain in his eyes, and it nearly killed Katie to know that she could have prevented it. She knew all-to-well how it felt to lose someone you counted on- somebody you loved. She wished there was someway to comfort him, make it all better. She wished Gandalf had never put her in this position.

She turned to Aragorn, unable to bear the pain in her heart at watching Legolas. The ranger stood away from the group, wiping the blood from his sword. He looked unfazed, but Katie knew it was a mask. "Legolas- get them up," he ordered.

Everyone turned to stare at him incredulously. "Give them a moment, for pity's sake," Boromir pleaded.

Aragorn just turned to him, emotionless. "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs," he stated. "We must reach the woods of Lothlórien," he added, re-sheathing his sword.

Everyone sat silent, unsure of what to do. No one wanted to continue without Gandalf.

"Come, Legolas- Gimli! Get them up." Aragorn commanded again. This time the men stepped into action. Boromir walked over and helped her to her feet. "Come Katie. Aragorn is right, we must go."

Katie followed him, keeping her head down, feeling the angry stares of the group. After a moment, Aragorn and Frodo joined them, and they started towards Lothlórien. They ran hard and fast for hours, trying to erase the pain of loss still fresh in their minds. Finally, Aragorn noticed the hobbits exhaustion and decided it would be safe to rest for a bit.

Katie collapsed onto the soft grass, fatigued, but happy to be away from the caves. '_Ahhh_,' she thought, taking a deep breath in and slowly letting it out, savoring the crisp, clean air. She'd give just about anything to never step foot in another cave for the rest of her life. '_It must be what Hell is like_.'

Her thoughts were broken when she saw Legolas rise to his feet and walk away from the group. She wondered if she should try to talk with him. Explain her actions. Suddenly, she heard Gandalf's words-"He will forgive you."- and her mind was made up. She walked over to where he stood, going over what to say in her head.

He didn't look up when she approached. "Go away," he ordered, his voice oddly flat.

"I just wanted to explain…," she whispered, suddenly feeling desperate.

He raised his head and met her gaze, his blue eyes hard and cold. "I do not wish to speak with you."

"You won't even let me explain why I couldn't---."

"No," he interrupted sharply. "I will not listen to the lies from your mouth."

"Wait!" she pleaded when he turned and began to walk away. "Please Legolas, let me explain…"

He didn't turn. "I have heard enough from you," he said quietly, then walked back towards the others.

Katie watched him go, feeling panicked. That wasn't how she pictured the conversation going in her mind. '_He won't listen at all_,' she thought forlornly, wondering if Gandalf had been wrong. Legolas didn't seem likely to forgive her anytime soon. Aragorn spoke, breaking her thoughts once more.

"We must reach the woods before nightfall," he said, motioning her to return.

She walked back to the group slowly, ignoring Gimli's curious looks.

"Let's go," Aragorn ordered, taking the lead.

Katie followed, but her heart wasn't in it.

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The sun was just beginning to set behind the trees when the group reached the woods. Katie glanced around in amazement as they slowed down to a walk and cautiously entered. It was beautiful- big tall trees, sparkling bushes, golden leaves fluttering in the slight breeze. Behind her, she heard Gimli warning the hobbits about a "great sorceress" in the woods. Katie grinned to herself, knowing the dwarf was going to fall in love with Galadriel.

Suddenly a female voice sounded in her head, loud and strong. **'Welcome back child. Your coming is a great prophesy fulfilled.'**

Katie snapped her head around, startled. Only the hobbits and Gimli were behind her. No one else. '_Where did that voice come from?_' she wondered, feeling off-kilter. It sounded as if someone where talking directly inside her head.

'_Weird_,' she thought, turning back around. She stopped dead in her tracks. An elf stood directly in front of her, bow drawn and pointed at her head. She glanced around as much as she dared and realized they were completely surrounded by a group of blond hair elves. She recognized Haldir as he stepped forward.

"The dwarf breathes so loudly we could have shot him in the dark," he said with a smirk.

Katie heard Gimli growl in annoyance and swallowed a laugh. Haldir shot her a puzzled look. "Follow me," he ordered. Immediately, the group of elves lowered their bows and followed behind Haldir.

'_A train of blondes_,' Katie thought with a smirk as she walked along at the back of the pack. Several of the elves followed behind them, making up the caboose.

After a minute, Gimli fell into step beside her. "Are you and the elf fighting?" he whispered- quite loudly.

Katie shot him a warning look. "There are a lot of elves here," she pointed out, trying to avoid the question. She noticed several of the elves were eyeing them curiously. She fought back a groan.

"I'm talking about Leg--."

"I know who you're talking about," she cut him off quickly, "and the answer is no- we're not fighting. He's mad at me but we're not fighting."

Gimli looked unconvinced. "You two appeared to be fighting earlier," he pointed out. Katie ground her teeth in annoyance.

"He's angry with me because I lied to him," she whispered. "I tried to apologize but he wouldn't listen."

"That doesn't surprise me," Gimli growled, "Damn stubborn elves."

Katie laughed aloud, she couldn't help it. Nearly all of the elves had turned to stare at them, and she knew they had heard Gimli's words. "That's the truth," she whispered, thinking of Legolas.

Gimli walked ahead to talk with Sam, leaving her to walk by herself. 'The hobbits still won't talk to me,' she realized with a frown. In fact, Gimli was the only one in the group besides Boromir and Aragorn who had said anything to her. She swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling all alone. Around her, the sky grew darker- reflecting her mood.

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After more than half an hour of walking through the moonlit woods, Haldir stopped and turned towards the group. "We will stop here to eat and rest," he stated.

Katie looked around in confusion, wandering where he was talking about. All she saw were trees and more trees. "Where?" Pippin spoke up, voicing her thoughts.

Haldir looked up and the group followed his gaze. Katie was amazed by what she saw. Flat, leaf like platforms sat amid the branches, high in the trees. She heard Gimli mutter in disapproval and had to agree. Going anywhere that high up was not her idea of fun. '_But, if I survived Moria, I can survive anything,_' she decided, following Aragorn up the winding stairs.

'_Of course, Legolas won't be helping me this time_,' she reminded herself as she climbed. Just then, Legolas glanced back and checked on her. Katie smiled as he quickly turned back around, feeling better than she had in days. The climb no longer bothered her.

After another minute of walking, the group reached the flats. Katie looked around and noticed more elves watching them from surrounding trees. She forced herself to stare straight ahead as she followed the group onto the giant leaf structures. She stood beside Aragorn and Frodo as the fellowship lined up side by side, trying not to think of how high up they were, and how close they were standing to the edge.

Haldir emerged from the group of elves and approached them, walking in front of Legolas first.

"Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion," he spoke, placing a hand to his chest.

"Govannas vin gwennenle, Haldir o Lorien," Legolas replied softly.

Katie wasn't sure of what was being said. All she knew was Legolas sounded sexy as hell when he spoke elven. 'Or any language for that matter,' she thought with a grin.

Haldir skipped over Boromir and Gimli and looked at Aragorn.

"A Aragorn in Dunedain," he said with a smile. "Istannen le ammen." Aragorn bowed and muttered a response.

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the elves," Gimli spoke up loudly. "Speak words we can all understand."

Haldir shot him a dirty look. "We have not had dealings with the dwarfs since the dark days," he said slowly, his voice dripping with disdain.

"And you know what this dwarf says to that?" Gimli shot back. "Ish Kaquinldaglanora!"

Katie didn't understand his words, but she was sure they weren't nice. Still, she had to agree with the dwarf; it was rude to speak in elven when only two of the nine understood it.

Aragorn reached down and clasped Gimli's arm. "That was not so courteous," he hissed.

Haldir turned from Gimli and eyed her slowly up and down. After a long silence, he turned to Frodo, eyes narrowing. "You bring great evil with you," he whispered. "You can go no further," he stated, then turned and walked away.

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A/N: I apologize for the long delay in updating. My beta is having computer problems, not to mention a busy schedule. Everyone knows how that is.

Here is the translation for the elven words:

"Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion," he spoke, placing a hand to his chest. (Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil)

"Govannas vin gwennenle, Haldir o Lorien," Legolas replied softly. (Our fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir from Lorien.)

"A Aragorn in Dunedain," he said with a smile. "Istannen le ammen." (Aragorn of Dunedain, you are known to us.)

All these translations are from hope they're right. Oh, and if I haven't said so before- this story is going off of the movies, and I happen to have the extended edition version of FOTR. Any questions?

Expect another update soon. Within a week I promise.

Katie-Sue


	21. Chapter 21: Lothlorien

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 21: Lothlórien**

Katie sat by herself on the platform, leaning her head tiredly back against the tree. She glanced around the group, feeling bored. They had been sitting there for quite some time, waiting for Aragorn and Haldir to decide their path of travel. The elves had brought food to the group after Haldir announced they couldn't continue and Katie ate hungrily, realizing it had been weeks since her last proper meal. The elf and the ranger were arguing quietly off to the side of the group. They'd been that way for over an hour.

Katie sighed, her eyes scanning the others. The hobbits were talking quietly amongst themselves, not paying attention to her. Legolas stood by the two men, looking out onto the trees with his arms crossed over his chest.

'_Typical Legolas standing position_,' she thought, rolling her eyes. It was true; she'd seen him stand like that dozens of times. Bored. Standoffish. Was it arrogance or shyness? All Katie knew for sure was that he puzzled her. One minute he seemed completely confident- almost to the extent of being cocky. The next he was quiet and refined- bashful almost.

She closed her eyes and groaned, wishing she could forget about the elf. '_Why why WHY do I have to be attracted to him_?' she wondered frustrated. She knew it would never lead anywhere. He would never see her as anything more than a friend. '_And right now he doesn't even see me as that_,' she reminded herself.

She sat there with her eyes closed, letting the deep exhaustion she felt blanket her. '_Maybe I'll just rest my head on my bag pack for a minute_,' she thought drowsily. She curled up on the floor- using her cloak for a cover. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

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Katie slept more soundly than she had in weeks and awoke feeling rested and rejuvenated. She sat up and looked around, realizing they weren't in the tree platforms anymore. Somehow, sometime during the night, she had moved to a different flat. It was bigger than the last and had twenty or so cot-like beds scattered around it. Quickly, she jumped out of the bed and looked around for the rest of the group.

The only person she saw that she recognized was Haldir- talking with another elf. When he noticed she was awake, he made his way over to her, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"Good morning," he said softly. "I trust you slept well?"

"Uh- I guess," Katie muttered, still disoriented from waking up somewhere she wasn't expecting. "Not to be rude, but how did I get here?"

Haldir smiled fully now. "You are a heavy sleeper. We attempted to wake you, but in the end you were carried here."

'_By whom?_' Katie wondered, wishing she could ask the elf. Instead, she asked her next burning question. "When's breakfast?"

Haldir laughed aloud. "Follow me," he commanded, then led her to where the others were already eating.

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After they had finished with the meal, the group sat off for Caras Galadhon. Katie wasn't sure what exactly had made Haldir change his mind, but there he was, in the front leading them along. Another elf, then Aragorn and Gimli, Boromir, the hobbits, and lastly she, Legolas and three other elves followed him.

She walked all morning through the bright woods, listening curiously as the elves behind her talked quietly. She didn't understand what was being said- being they were talking in elven- but she liked the soft, hypnotic sound of the words flowing together. Once or twice, Legolas joined their conversations, but mostly he was silent.

Katie, on the other hand, couldn't keep quiet. She hummed happily as they marched along, enjoying the warm feel of the sunlight on her face. It was good to be back under the trees, walking with nature. Caradhras and Moria had both been so bleak and depressing. It was good to be done with that part of the journey.

"What song is that you are humming?" Sam asked curiously, startling her out of her daydreams.

She looked down at the small hobbit and smiled. "I don't know what it's called," she said truthfully. "It's from an old music box my mom once had."

"Oh," Sam muttered, clearly unsure of what else to say.

"I'm just so glad to be in the fresh air again," Katie added, wanting to continue the conversation.

"I agree with you there," Sam said softly. "If I never return to that forsaken place it would be too soon." He frowned and Katie knew he was thinking of Gandalf. They walked in silence for a few minutes until Sam turned to her again.

"I am sorry I was cross with you yesterday."

Katie smiled down at him, touched by his simply, yet honest, apology. "It's alright. You have every right to be angry at me, but thank you for the apology."

"It means a lot to me," she added truthfully.

Sam blushed and quickly walked back up with the other hobbits.

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They were still marching along through the golden woods several hours later when Haldir stopped and turned to them.

"There is a stream north of here." He stated. "We will rest awhile so anyone who wishes to bathe can."

Katie felt a smile growing on her lips. It seemed like ages since she had a proper bath. She followed the hobbits to the stream as Haldir and the other Lothlórien elves sat under a tree, talking quietly.

'_Of course I can't get fully naked and bathe_,' she realized, slightly disappointed. What she wanted above all was a real bath, with steaming hot water and lovely smelling soap.

Once they reached the water, she washed her hands and face as the hobbits stripped off their shirts. She watched Legolas out of the corner of her eye, hoping he would follow suit, but he didn't. Instead, he quickly washed and headed east, away from both groups.

Katie watched him leave, wondering where he was going. She turned back to the hobbits, who were busy splashing each other with the cold water. Nobody except her seemed to notice his departure. Quickly, she dried herself off and began walking in the direction he had gone, making sure no one saw.

'_This is probably the best opportunity I'll have to apologize_,' she thought as she scanned the trees for him. '_If I can find him,_' she realized with a frown. She walked a few more minutes in what she hoped was the right direction, but didn't see him. Just as she was about to give up and try to find her way back, she spotted him- sitting on a log, facing away from her.

"Leave me alone," he spoke up suddenly, his voice loud in the stillness of the woods.

She stopped in her tracks, unsure of what to do. "I need to talk to you," she whispered, hoping she didn't sound desperate.

He sprang to his feet and whirled around, looking angry.

Katie took a cautious step back, startled by his sudden movement.

"Did you not hear me?" he hissed. "I said let me be."

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me- let me explain." Her voice sounded more confident than she felt.

Legolas narrowed his eyes dangerously and then began walking towards her until he loomed over her, forcing her to look up at him. She fought the urge to step back, refusing to be intimidated. She stood her ground and looked him squarely in the eyes.

"What do you want?" his voice was cold. "To lie to my face again?"

Katie held his angry glare, unblinking. "No." She said calmly, "I need to talk with you."

Legolas frowned, obviously mad his intimidation plan wasn't working. "Then talk," he growled finally, realizing she wasn't going to back down.

"I will," she said in that same calm voice, "after you back up out of my face and quit glaring at me."

His face twisted into a scowl. "Are you trying to anger me?"

She sighed, tired of this game. "No."

"Then leave…Me…ALONE!" He reached out and shoved her lightly, hoping to get his point across.

Although the push hadn't been hard, Katie hadn't been expecting it. She stumbled backwards, losing her balance. Her head collided hard with a rock as she fell to the ground. She blinked several times, stars swimming in her vision.

Legolas stood there for a moment looking down at her, an expression of pure shock on his handsome face; then he rushed over and knelt beside her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice no longer angry.

Katie sat up, suddenly furious. It was as if all of Legolas' anger had transferred over to her. She reached up and shoved him as hard as she could in the chest. He fell ungracefully on his butt. She stood up while he sprang to his feet.

"What did you do that for?" he asked, bewildered.

"That's for being a jerk!" She snapped.

"Me!" He looked completely dumbfounded.

"Yes you," she hissed. "If you would just let me explain myself then you would understand why I couldn't tell you about Gandalf's death." She raised her voice. "Instead you get angry, call me names and shove me into rocks!"

Legolas took a step back. "I am sorry," he said, almost helplessly. "I did not mean to make you fall."

Katie took a deep breath, feeling her anger disappearing. "Don't you think I wanted to tell you?" She asked softly. Didn't he realize how much it had hurt to lie to his face?

"Then why did you not?" he whispered.

She sighed and stepped away from him. "Well, Gandalf made me promise not to tell anyone he was going to die."

Legolas stared at her, wide-eyed. "Gandalf knew?"

"Yes. He had to die so he could return as a white wizard," she explained. "If I would have told you, you would have tried to save him."

"A white wizard?" Legolas whispered in awe.

"Yes… Now do you understand why I couldn't tell you?" She sighed again, wanting to be honest with him. "I wanted to Legolas, I really did."

He looked at her for a minute, then slowly began walking towards where she stood. "I am sorry," he said softly.

"I did not understand," he whispered once he was directly in front of her. He reached out and gently pushed a stray hair off her face.

She didn't respond- couldn't respond. He was standing too close and she knew if she tried to speak, nothing would come out. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She felt his hands slide over her chin and cheeks, softly cupping her face; forcing her to look up and meet his gaze. Her heart thudded in her chest.

"Please," he whispered. She could feel his warm breath against her face.

Instinctively she leaned towards him, closing her eyes.

For a second he went utterly still, then his lips were on hers, soft, cautious, exploring. His hands slid down her neck and shoulders, pulling her against his hard chest.

Katie moaned softly, completely lost in the kiss. In a dim corner of her mind, she realized she hadn't moved from her original position. Hadn't kissed him back. She reached out and was just about to touch him when a voice sounded from close bye.

"Come, we must continue." It was Haldir.

Katie sprang back, startled at the interruption. She hung her head, knowing she was blushing an unflattering shade of crimson. She couldn't bring herself to look at Legolas.

"Tulien," Legolas called back, his voice oddly clipped.

Katie felt his eyes on her, studying her for what seemed like forever.

"Come on," he said finally and began walking towards the other elf.

She followed behind silently, her mind trying to come to terms with what just happened. '_Did he kiss me because he wanted to, or because he thought I wanted to_?' she wondered frantically. '_Did Haldir see us_?' And most importantly-_ 'Did it affect him as much as it did me_?'

She could still taste him on her lips when they reached Haldir.

'Mani nae lle umien?" he asked Legolas, ignoring her.

"Umoe." Legolas replied shortly. "Lle lye desiel?"

Haldir narrowed his eyes, and finally turned his gaze to Katie. She kept her eyes down.

"Follow me," he said finally, then turned and started back towards the group.

Katie followed.

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A/N:

Alright, translations. I hope I got all of this right. Don't hate me if I don't.

"Tulien (Coming)," Legolas called back, his voice oddly clipped.

'Mani nae lle umien (What where you doing)?" he asked Legolas, ignoring her.

"Umoe. (Nothing)" Legolas replied shortly. "Lle lye desiel (Are we ready)?"

Alright. I hope everyone liked this chapter. I liked writing it. An answer to padfoot: Yes, Katie knows Gandalf will return and Yes there will be other stories.

Anyone else have any questions?

Katie-sue


	22. Chapter 22: Caras Galadhon

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 22: Caras Galadhon**

Everyone turned to stare as the three of them approached. For a long minute, nobody spoke, then Aragorn broke the silence.

"Are we ready?" He asked Haldir.

The elf nodded and gestured to the others, signaling for them to follow. Katie snuck in line between Frodo and Sam, trying to avoid standing by Legolas or Gimli. She didn't want to hear what the dwarf would say, and she was afraid of what Legolas would. He had seemed on the verge of saying something before he led her to Haldir. She didn't know if she wanted to hear it.

The rest of the day passed without incident. They spent most of their time walking and chatting quietly. Katie kept re-playing "the kiss" in her mind. Over and over. Each time she would get butterflies in her stomach as she recalled the feel of his soft lips against hers.

'_What do I do now_?' she wondered, feeling confused. '_Do I act like nothing happened? Does he wish nothing did?_' Her mind went on. '_Maybe he only kissed me because he was sorry about being a jerk. Maybe it's an elven way of apologizing_.'

Frankly, she didn't know what to think. All she knew for certain was that she wanted to kiss him again. See what would have happened had they not been interrupted.

'_He sure is a good kisser_,' she mused as they marched. '_I'll bet he's had his share of women_.' This thought was accompanied by a jealous tug.

She re-played the kiss again in her head as she followed the others up a steep hill. Haldir stopped at the top and spoke- interrupting her daydream.

"Caras Galadhon," he announced proudly.

Katie walked behind Aragorn and looked over his shoulder. They were standing on a high cliff, overlooking a blanket of lush green woods. In the middle of it all was a cluster of tall golden trees. She smiled at the beauty of it.

"The heart of elvendom on Earth," Haldir stated. "Realm of Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."

They stood there a moment in silence, trying to absorb the picture into their memory. Finally, Haldir began to walk again- leading them all down the hill and towards the city.

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The sun had already set behind them as they entered Caras Galadhon. Dozens of beautiful elves emerged from the trees to watch as they passed. They followed Haldir through the city, glancing around in awe. He led them under the gigantic trees and started up some stairs. Katie felt her breath catch in her throat as she looked around. Huge, sparkling staircases wrapped around nearly all of the tall trees. Fear clutched her when she realized they were going to climb up one of those staircases.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and when she turned, her gray eyes met Legolas' blue ones.

"I am behind you," he said softly, sensing her fear.

Katie smiled at him, then turned and began to climb. '_He can be so sweet sometimes_,' she thought lovingly. Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them back, not wanting to be sappy.

She walked along, making sure not to look over the edge. The stairs were steep, but easy to climb. '_Nothing like those damn steps in Moria_,' she thought with a grunt.

The stairs ended and Haldir led them around a hole to a small platform in front of more steps. The fellowship looked around curiously as Haldir moved over to the side. Katie stood in the front, trying to stay away from the edge. Legolas stood behind her- just to her left.

The entire group looked up as two figures appeared and began walking down the stairs towards them. Katie recognized them as Galadriel and Celeborn. They were both bathed in a stunning white light. Galadriel looked very beautiful and queen like in her sparkling white dress with her long hair flowing out behind her.

They stopped and studied the group silently. Celeborn was the first to speak.

"The enemy knows you have entered here," he stated. "What hope you had in secrecy is now gone."

He looked them over and frowned.

"Nine there are here, yet ten there were sent out from Rivendell. Tell me- where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak to him."

Galadriel looked at them knowingly.

"I can no longer see him from afar," Celeborn admitted softly.

"Gandalf the grey did not pass the borders of this land," Galadriel whispered. "He has fallen into shadow."

Celeborn looked over at Galadriel as Legolas spoke up from behind her.

"He was taken by both shadow and flame. A Balrog of Morgoth."

They all stood in silence as Galadriel studied them. One by one her eyes roamed them, seeking out the truth.

"What now becomes of this fellowship?" Celeborn asked. "Without Gandalf, hope is lost."

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife," Galadriel said dramatically, staring directly at Boromir. "Stray but a little and it will fail…to the ruin of all." She looked at Sam and smiled. "Yet, hope remains while the company is true."

She addressed the whole group. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest…for you are weary with sorrow and much toil."

Suddenly, Katie heard Galadriel's voice in her mind. '_Welcome child. You have traveled a great distance to fulfill a prophecy and return peace to Lothlórien.'_

'_What prophecy_?' Katie wondered desperately.

'_You will know when the time is right_,' Galadriel answered without speaking.

Katie felt her eyes widen in surprise. '_You can read my mind_?' she asked silently.

'_Of course_,' the voice replied.

'_Then can you tell me why I'm here_?'

Galadriel smiled. '_In due time all will be revealed. Sleep now, and when you wake all will appear different_.'

The two elves turned and began walking back up the stairs.

'_What does that mean_?' Katie thought, feeling frustrated. Galadriel didn't answer.

After both elves had disappeared out of sight, Haldir approached her.

"I will show you to your room," he stated, then took her arm and led her away.

She followed him away from the group, risking a quick glance back at Legolas. He was busy talking with Aragorn and didn't seem to notice her departure. _'Oh well,_' she thought with a sigh._ 'I suppose I'll see him tomorrow.'_

Haldir led her down some stairs and through a pair of tall silver arches. Katie kept stopping to admire the impressive surroundings, heedless of the elves insistence.

"Does my room have walls?" she asked suddenly, thinking of Rivendell.

Haldir looked baffled. "Of course."

"And a bed?" she asked breathlessly, daring to hope for the best.

This time Haldir smiled. "Yes…I take it you are tired of sleeping on the ground."

Katie nodded enthusiastically. "Our group has been traveling for a long time…" She frowned. "Speaking of my group, where are they?"

"They are sleeping beneath the trees."

"Why am I the only one to get a room?" She asked curiously, though she suspected she already knew the answer.

"You are a female." Haldir answered truthfully.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," she muttered under her breath, then smiled innocently as he turned to face her.

"Here we are," he stated, nodding to a closed door. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she called after his retreating form, then turned and went into her room.

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The rest of the fellowship sat below the huge trees, quietly smoking their pipes. All except Legolas, who sat staring up at the bright stars. He couldn't stop thinking about what the Lady Galadriel had spoken in his mind. He replayed the words again, trying to understand there meaning.

"_You have traveled far and faithfully to destroy the ring and have found something unexpected along the way…Do not be troubled, all will end as hoped."_

Just then, Gimli approached him, breaking his thoughts.

"Care for a walk?" he asked pleasantly.

Legolas raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Sure," he answered, springing to his feet. He needed something to distract his mind anyways.

They walked in silence for a few minutes- both admiring the sparkling city. Gimli spoke first.

"This place is beautiful," he said, sounding dazed.

Legolas grinned over at him. "I thought dwarfs were more into mines and caves than trees," he teased.

Gimli let out a low growl, but there was a smile on his face. He was quiet another minute before speaking again.

"Where is Katie?" he asked, hoping to annoy the elf with the question.

Legolas frowned down at him. '_I should have known he was up to something.'_

"Haldir showed her to her room."

Gimli smirked. Really, he couldn't help it. "Looks like you have competition, elf."

"Do not be a fool," Legolas snapped. In all truth, he had felt a pang of jealousy when he saw the elf lead Katie away. He had quickly turned to Aragorn and started a conversation to keep from watching.

"Whatever you say Legolas," Gimli growled, enjoying how uncomfortable he was making the elf.

'_That is the first time he has ever called me by my name and not elf_,' Legolas realized with a smile. He decided a change of topic was in order. Something that would take the dwarfs mind off him and Katie. He had just the thing.

"So, what did you think of the Lady Galadriel?" he asked innocently.

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	23. Chapter 23: Changes

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 23: Changes**

Katie slept soundly the entire night, and didn't wake until almost lunchtime the following day. She stretched out on her bed, smiling as she took in the beauty around her. The room was perfect. Big, airy with gorgeous furniture, and best of all an attached room with a washtub and chamber pot. Oh, how she had missed having a bathroom.

Slowly, she forced herself off the soft mattress and looked around for something to wear. The clothes she had left in a pile by her bed had mysteriously disappeared, replaced by a pale green dress hanging by her door. She had a sneaking suspicion that she would not be getting her traveling clothes back.

"Oh well," she muttered, slipping the silky fabric over her head. As long as they gave her something other than a dress to wear the rest of the journey. She pulled the dress down over her hips and walked over to the large mirror that hung above the dresser to examine herself.

She gasped at her reflection. She hadn't looked at a mirror since Rivendell, and the changes were obvious. At least to her. Her hair was lighter from being out in the sun and longer… A good deal longer.

Katie fingered the strands in amazement, wondering how she hadn't noticed the change before. She took a step forward and studied her reflection even closer. The cut on her cheek was completely healed. Not even a scar remained. She had been expecting to look tanned and wind blown, but instead her skin looked smooth, flawless. '_Almost_,' she thought with a gasp '_like Legolas'_.'

Goosebumps broke out over her flesh and she rubbed her arms nervously. They felt different. It took a second to figure out why. '_I don't have any arm hair_,' she realized with a start. She checked her legs. "None there either," she whispered to the stranger in the mirror.

Suddenly a thought came to her. '_Is this what Galadriel meant when she said all would appear different in the morning?_' She had no idea.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she hadn't eaten in over 18 hours. She cast one more uneasy glance at her reflection before walking out the door to find the others.

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She found her group sitting at a table under some trees. They had already started with their meals and everyone looked up and stopped eating when they saw her.

Katie stared at them nervously. Did they notice all the changes in her appearance also? The silence stretched on awkwardly. Finally, mercifully, Gimli broke it with one of his obtuse comments.

"You look different," he growled, then stuffed a huge bite of food into his mouth and loudly began eating again.

"Different how?" she whispered, fearing they had noticed everything.

"We are just not use to seeing you wear a dress," Aragorn said with a smile as he slid over to make room for her.

"Oh," she breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they didn't notice everything.

"And you have your hair down," Pippin added, and then continued eating as well.

Everyone took his lead and began their meals again as Katie fixed a plate and sat down beside Aragorn. Soon the hobbits were busy asking questions about where they were headed next and how long they planned to stay in Lothlórien. Katie just smiled; relieved the focus was off her.

After lunch, everyone went their separate ways. Katie watched as they left and decided to go for a walk. She really didn't know what else to do. Nobody had given her a schedule, so she figured she was supposed to entertain herself. She chose a nice shady path and set off. After a few minutes, her mind drifted to Legolas. He had spoken only twice during the meal, answering something Merry had asked. He had not said two words to her, but she had felt him staring at her more than once.

'_Does he think I look different_?' She wondered as she walked along aimlessly. Throughout the journey, she had always placed her hair back in either a ponytail or a braid. The only time she let it down was at night when she slept. '_I wonder if he thinks I look better with it down._'

She bent over to smell some flowers just off the path and jumped as a figure emerged from the shadows beside her. It was Haldir.

"You should not stray to far from the city," he said as he took a step towards her.

Katie put a hand to her chest, trying to slow her pounding heart. "You shouldn't sneak up on people," she snapped, angry at being scared out of her wits.

Haldir just smiled and took her arm, leading her back onto the path. "So, tell me, how do you like Lothlórien?" He asked after a minute of walking.

Katie smiled, deciding to forgive him. '_After all, he's an elf. He can't help but sneak up on people_.'

"I like it a lot," she replied, her eyes lovingly scanning the surrounding trees.

"Is it much different from your home?" He asked curiously.

Katie scoffed. "Very different."

Haldir looked at her closely. "Do you wish to return there?"

She thought about it for a moment. She wasn't sure she could choose. "I miss my dad," she said honestly.

"That is not what I asked," Haldir pointed out softly.

"I don't know," she admitted, wondering why he cared. "Nobody here needs me- or wants me around…At least back home I have my dad."

Haldir gave her a placating smile. "You are needed here more than you realize."

They walked in silence for a moment as she thought about his comment. '_Does anyone really want me here?_' she wondered, feeling sorry for herself. '_Does Legolas want me to return home_?' The very thought filled her heart with a hopeless dread.

Just then, she spotted the elf in question- deep in conversation with a woman.

Katie studied the elven woman critically- tall, thin, long beautiful blonde hair. All in all, the woman was gorgeous. Jealousy rippled through her and she quickly turned away.

"Quel andune," Haldir called out- spotting the elves. (Good afternoon)

Both elves looked up as Haldir led her over to where they stood.

"Vedui," the lady purred. (Greetings)

Legolas remained quiet. He caught her eye and quickly looked away.

"Mani naa lle atta ten umien? Haldir asked pleasantly. (What are you two out doing?)

The attractive woman smiled up at him. "Taren Legolas ar amin manke san tri all." (Prince Legolas and I were taking a walk.)

She looked back over at Katie. "Ya naa re?" (Who is she?)

Katie frowned slightly. She could already tell she wasn't going to like this woman. '_Probably because she's flirting with Legolas_,' part of her mind spoke up. Still, it annoyed her when people talked about her as if she wasn't there. Especially when she couldn't understand what they were saying.

"She is one of my group," Legolas answered softly.

The woman looked over at him, surprise clear on her face. "A' edan edainme?" She whispered in astonishment. (A human woman?)

"Mankoi naa re er en Tel'Mithrim?" (Why is she one of the Grey Company?)

"It is a long story," Legolas said with a slight frown.

The woman turned to Katie and smiled. "I am Pernia- daughter of Anarrima and Galomir," she stated proudly.

"I'm Katherine," Katie muttered. She felt an urge to include her mom and dad's names, but resisted.

Pernia looked her up and down slowly before turning back to Haldir. "Mani nae lee atta umien?" She asked sweetly. (What have you two been doing?)

"I was just escorting Katherine back to her room," Haldir said with a smile. "I found her roaming around outside the city."

Pernia smiled an annoyingly perfect smile. "Naa Tanya ikotane?" (Is that so?)

Katie fought down the urge to scream and turned to Haldir. "I'm tired. I'm ready to go."

Haldir looked over at her- eyebrows slightly raised.

"I will take her back," Legolas spoke up before he could answer.

Haldir glanced from her to Legolas- then back again. "Do you want me to come get you for supper?"

"No. I will take my meal in my room if that is okay." She turned to Pernia. "It was nice to meet you," she lied.

The woman just smiled politely back at her.

Legolas took her by the arm. "Quel re," he told the two elves with a nod of his head. (Good day)

"Quel re, Taren Legolas" Pernia answered back. (Good day, Prince Legolas)

Legolas turned and led her towards her room. They walked several minutes in heavy silence. Katie took the time to study him closely. He had changed from his traveling clothes and now wore a long silver tunic. He no longer had his weapons strapped on his back, and the change was startling. '_He looks good_,' she realized. '_Really good_.' The silver outfit made his face glow- causing his hair to look even lighter.

"You look different," she muttered when he caught her staring.

Legolas gave her a long side-glance. "So do you," he pointed out.

"I'm just not use to seeing you without your weapons," she explained, feeling a little embarrassed at her blatant staring.

"You are in a dress," he shot back.

Katie smiled. "I don't know which is stranger," she admitted.

Legolas' lips curled into a grin. "Both," he decided.

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, both deep in thought.

"Thanks," she said nervously as they reached her door.

Legolas turned and met her gaze. "I will see you tomorrow," he said softly, then turned and walked away.

Katie watched until he was out of sight, then sighed and opened the door to her room. "It's gonna be a long night," she muttered as she shut the door behind her.

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A/N: I know a few of you readers might be mad that I put the translations in the story instead of in this note, but I've read stories that I have to scroll down the entire page each sentence to find out what it meant, and it annoys me. I've decided if it's a long conversation, that I would include the translations in parenthesis after each sentence. Everyone okay with that? To bad if not, it's my story.

Katie-sue


	24. Chapter 24: Answers?

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 24: Answers?**

The next day dawned bright and sunny, as most days did in Caras Galadhon. Katie ate her morning meals with the group again- this time without the awkward stares. _'I guess they got use to me in a dress_,' she thought as they finished lunch. Everyone scattered to do their own thing, leaving her to her own devices once again.

"I guess I'll take another walk," she muttered to herself, not knowing what else there was to do.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Legolas spoke up from behind, startling her.

Katie tried to hide her surprise. "If you want," she said nonchalantly.

Legolas took her arm and headed down a well-lit path. "Are you enjoying your stay here thus far?" he asked politely after a minute of silence.

"Yes…it's very beautiful."

She glanced over at him, struggling to take in the sight of him. He was dressed in a silvery-blue tunic today, still sans weapons.

"How long do you think we'll stay?" she asked, trying to focus on the conversation.

"I do not know," Legolas admitted. "How long do you wish to stay?"

"I don't know," Katie shrugged, wondering at his question. "Maybe a few more days."

Legolas stopped and looked down at her intently. "You could stay behind if you wished," he said all at once.

She took a step back, feeling hurt. "You want me to stay here instead of going on with the group?" She asked incredulously.

"It would be safer here," he pointed out softly. "Mordor is no place for a woman."

Katie jerked her arm completely out of his grasp. "If you don't want me to go with you, just say so," she hissed and began to walk off.

Legolas quickly caught up with her and grabbed her arm to stop her. "Why must we always fight?" he asked pleadingly.

She spun around to face him. "Why are you such a jerk?" she growled.

Legolas frowned. "I do not even understand what that word means."

"It means you're an unfeeling ASS!" She spat back angrily.

"Oh," he said with a sudden smile. "Is that all?"

Katie felt her anger melting away and tried not to smile back. "Would you like me to continue?" she asked-trying her best to sound mad.

"Look," he suddenly turned serious. "I do not wish for you to stay, I just thought perhaps you would be happier here."

"Well," she all but growled, "I wouldn't."

Legolas was about to reply when Haldir appeared.

"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly as he walked up to them. "The Lady wishes to speak with you," he told Katie and took her other arm.

"What does she want?" Katie asked hesitantly.

"I do not know." Haldir said with a smile. "We still have a little time before you are expected."

They walked back towards the city slowly, Katie enjoying having a handsome elf on each arm.

"There is a pond just north of here where I sometimes swim," Haldir stated, breaking the silence.

"I love to swim," Katie said honestly. In fact, she did it whenever she had a chance.

"We must go then," Haldir said with a smile. "The best time is in the evening before the sun sets. The water is perfect then."

"Let's go tonight," Katie said, feeling excited. She turned and looked over at Legolas. "Will you come with us?"

"Alright," he agreed with a little smile.

"We will meet at the pond after the evening meal," Haldir decided, then tugged her arm away from Legolas. "We must be going now," he said apologetically. "We do not wish to keep The Lady waiting."

"Until tonight," Haldir added as he pulled her away.

"See you later, Greenleaf," Katie called back over her shoulder as he stood there and watched them leave.

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Haldir led her through the city in silence. Katie was nervous about the meeting. '_What does Galadriel want to talk about?_' she wondered as they reached a large door. '_I guess I'll find out_,' she thought with a shrug, then pushed the door open and timidly entered.

"I will see you tonight," Haldir said softly, then shut the door, leaving her alone.

Katie fidgeted with her dress as she looked around the large room. The furniture was all ornate and clearly handmade. All the pieces were large, but the room still had a sense of spaciousness.

"Do you like it?" A voice asked from her right.

Katie turned to see Galadriel enter from a small side door. The Lady looked beautiful and perfect like always.

"Yes," she answered the elf, unable to hide her appraisal. "The room is very beautiful." It was, in fact, perfect.

"It was my sister's room." Galadriel stated. "I believe you know of her."

"Yes," Katie muttered, uneasy with the elf's intense gaze. "Why did you wish to speak to me?" She asked, suddenly wanting nothing more than to flee the room.

"Your mind is troubled," Galadriel stated, ignoring the question. "Troubles in love?"

"No," Katie snapped, irritated at the Lady's knowing smile.

"So, have you admitted your feelings to Legolas, then?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"I have no feelings for him except friendship," Katie lied. Actually, she felt a lot more than friendship for him, but love? She didn't know about love.

"You are afraid of his response," Galadriel spoke plainly. "I have seen into his mind, and I know his heart. Would you like to know how _he_ feels about _you_?"

Katie thought about it for a long minute. It would be nice to know what the elf was thinking. How many times she had wished for the very thing Galadriel was offering, but she knew in her heart it wouldn't be fair.

"No," she decided. "Now can we please talk about the real reason I'm here."

Galadriel smiled. "I see my sister's spirit in you," she said fondly.

"What does your sister have to do with me?" Katie asked rudely, wishing the woman would just get to the point.

"She has everything to do with you," Galadriel spoke softly. "She was your mother."

Katie sucked in a breath, shocked at the declaration. "My parents are dead," she whispered once her voice was steady enough. "They died in an accident-."

"It was no accident," Galadriel interrupted. "They died saving your life from a group of orcs."

"But-but," Katie stammered, trying to make sense out of what the Lady was saying.

"My sister had a rare gift among the elves." Galadriel continued, heedless of Katie's shock. "She used that gift as she lay dying beside her husband, causing you to disappear from Middle Earth…Knowing that when the time was right, you would return and take your place at the thrown of Lothlórien."

"Prophecy says you will unite the elven cities, and return peace to Middle Earth." She finished finally.

"Well, that's bullshit," Katie stated plainly. "I'm sorry to tell you I already have a mother, I won't be taking ANY place on ANY thrown, and I sure as hell won't restore peace to Middle Earth."

"Frodo will restore peace," Galadriel answered back, unfazed by her calm anger.

"This can't be true," Katie said, starting to feel a little desperate. "I have a home, I have parents…"

"Everything I have said is true," The Lady assured her.

"So what am I then, an elf?" Katie asked, still not believing the story.

"One would think you would be pleased to find out you were immortal," Galadriel sounded a little sarcastic. "Or do you wish to die?"

Katie rolled her eyes, she couldn't help it. "I just don't think being immortal is all it's cracked up to be."

"You would rather die in sixty years- all alone in your old world?" Galadriel asked her voice angry.

"You would rather I was alone here and never die?" Katie shot back.

The elf studied her for a long minute before speaking again. "Would you give up everything here to return as you were?"

"I don't know," Katie whispered, wishing people would quit asking her to make that choice. "I want to see my dad."

"Your father will be dead soon," Galadriel stated. "What then?"

Katie felt a deep sadness wash over her, knowing the woman's words were true. Her dad didn't have much time to live. She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.

"How can you expect me to start a life here, when I never got to finish my last one?" She asked truthfully, then turned and fled the room before the Lady could see the tears streaming down her face.

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A/N: Alright, I know it was a little short, but tough. One request: PLEASE don't review me telling me to update. I will update every Friday, or as close to it as I can get. So quit crying about updates. The reviews are for actual reviews. Not pleading for updates. Have patience.

Katie-sue


	25. Chapter 25: The Swim

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 25: The Swim**

Katie growled in frustration, pacing the floor to her room for what had to be the hundredth time since her talk with Galadriel. She was getting nowhere. Nothing the Lady had said made sense, yet it did. It was confusing. She didn't know what to think, how to feel. "I hate this," she spoke aloud, voicing her feelings to the empty room. There was no one else to tell. No one else who would understand.

"What am I going to do?" She asked the elven looking woman in the mirror. No reply.

The longer she sat and thought about it, the more Katie realized there was nothing she _could_ do. Denying she was an elf wouldn't get her home. Neither would admitting it. Like it or not, she was stuck in Middle Earth.

"Well, there's only one thing left to do," she decided suddenly. "Swim."

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She reached the pond just as the sun began to dip behind the trees. Quickly, she removed her dress and shoes and set them just offshore on a rock. She still had a while until the men got there, and she was glad for the time to herself.

'_Haldir's right_,' she thought with a sigh as she stepped into the clear water. It was perfect. The warm water felt like heaven on her sore muscles. Slowly, she edged herself in, until she was submerged past her chest. She gazed down at the reflection in the water, studying her face amid the ripples.

'_Am I an elf?_' She wondered before she could stop herself. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Abruptly, she dove into the water, cutting off any other thoughts she could have had. She swam that way for over a half hour, until a deep voice sounded behind her.

"Good evening." It was Legolas.

Katie turned and smiled; glad it was him arriving first and not Haldir. "Good evening."

He stared down at her, looking hesitant. "How are you?" He asked slowly.

"Fine…" She gave him a confused look.

"You were not at the evening meal," he stated, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "Do you care if I join you?" He asked when he got no reply.

"Of course," Katie said, trying to conceal her grin. She had been looking forward to seeing Legolas without his shirt all day. It would be the highlight of her once boring life.

She felt her breath catch in her throat as turned away from her and removed his tunic. He sat it on a nearby rock and quickly slid his long shirt over his head, exposing an amazing chest. It was smooth and flawless, lined with perfect six-pack abs. He was more muscular than she would have guessed; years of hard work and archery were evident from his buff arms. He began to remove his pants and Katie had to bite back a gasp. She marveled at how his muscles flexed as he moved, unable to look away. Wishing she could stare at his perfect body forever. He was dressed only in some white breeches that resembled long shorts.

'_I wish he'd take those off too_,' Katie thought wickedly, then looked down quickly as he turned and walked into the water.

She dove under the water, hoping to cool off the blush on her cheeks, and praying that he hadn't noticed her staring. Now she'd never be able to look at him without picturing him half-naked. She surfaced and sucked in a deep breath of surprise when she realized he was standing directly in front of her.

"What is wrong?" He asked, sounding concerned.

Katie tried not to stare at him. Tried not to notice how the water line stopped right above his pants, and how his wet hair looked dark slicked back with water. How the water glistened off his bare chest.

An overwhelming feeling of lust shot through her body and she turned as her body tingled with need. He grabbed her waist firmly, turning her back to face him.

"What is wrong?" He asked again.

Katie looked up into his eyes and swallowed hard. His once blue eyes appeared nearly black, staring into her soul. She could feel his strong, hot hands through the thin fabric of her camisole.

"Did The Lady say something to upset you?" He asked softly. His hands slid to her back.

Katie nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

He pulled her slightly closer. "Tell me," he whispered concern evident in his voice.

"She said," her voice broke and she began again. "She said that I may never see my father again." It was only half the truth, but she couldn't tell him about being an elf. Not yet.

Legolas stood there for a second, and then pulled her tightly against his bare chest. "I am sorry," he spoke into her wet hair.

Katie hesitated, then wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back. "It's been a long time since I've hugged anyone," she muttered closing her eyes, only semi-aware she was talking aloud.

"Amin atta," Legolas whispered back as he softly stroked her hair.

Katie opened her eyes and was suddenly very aware of his half-naked body pressed against hers. A hot bolt of lust spiked through her, and she looked up into his handsome face and fought the urge to kiss him.

He smiled down at her kindly, oblivious to her inner turmoil. "Feel better?"

She nodded and slid her hands softly down his back. "Thanks." The feel of his smooth, flawless skin under her fingertips unnerved her.

Slowly, he released her and took a step back, looking frazzled. "Haldir is approaching," he stated.

Katie swam away from Legolas as Haldir quickly undressed and joined them. "I apologize for being late," he said as he slipped into the water. Katie looked him up and down curiously- his chest was flawless like Legolas', but broader. '_He's actually a few inches taller too_,' she realized as the elves stood side by side. She glanced from one to the other and couldn't help but smile. '_I've died and gone to heaven_,' she thought with a small chuckle.

Haldir turned to face her. "What is so funny?" He asked with a smirk.

"Oh nothing…I was just thinking of how many women would kill to be in my shoes right now."

"How may?" Haldir teased, swimming closer. Legolas just watched their banter from the side of the pond.

Katie decided to be bold. "Well, take the number of women you've been with and multiply that by, I don't know, 50,000 or so."

Haldir laughed aloud. "I have been with many women, but perhaps not as many as men from your world. And I am over 500 years old," he added.

Katie raised her eyebrows in shock. She hadn't seen this side of Haldir before- the joking, flirty side. He usually appeared so stoic and serious. "So elves don't wait until marriage to have sex?" A statement rather than a question.

"Not usually." Haldir admitted. "Elves live for so long is not practical."

Katie thought about what he said. "Are women elves allowed to be so 'practical'?" she asked blatantly.

Haldir began to look annoyed. "It is usually frowned upon if a woman gives herself to a man before marriage."

She rolled her eyes. "Frowned upon yes, but I'll bet most women do it anyway."

"Why do you say that?" Legolas asked softly- finally joining their conversation.

Katie looked from him to Haldir, then back again. "Well, neither of you are virgins," she pointed out. Neither elf objected. "And neither of you are married, so both of you had to sleep with women…unless you prefer men." She considered aloud.

Both elves looked shocked.

"Well maybe not," She muttered. "But my point is, none of the women you've been with married you, and I'm willing to bet few were virgins. So there goes your theory on women waiting until marriage to have sex."

Haldir and Legolas both stood there- staring at her. Neither spoke.

"Have you ever been with a man?" Haldir asked after a long silence.

Katie considered lying, then decided against it. She was surprised he even asked. "Yes"

"How many?" Haldir demanded.

"One, but I don't understand why it matters." Katie shot back, rather annoyed. She hadn't asked him for an exact number.

"Did you love him?" Haldir asked, ignoring her dirty look.

Katie decide she might as well tell the truth. "Yes. We dated for almost four years."

"What happened?" Haldir looked curious.

She closed her eyes, thinking about her ex-boyfriend Brian. "A pretty, red headed woman named Allison. Could we talk about something else now, please?"

Haldir cocked his head to the side. "I am just trying to figure out what about your old world was so great that you hurry to return to it."

Katie flinched as if slapped. "You know nothing about me, or my world," she said angrily, then turned and walked out of the water.

"I know more than you might think," Haldir said seriously, only serving to fuel her anger more.

"Then you should know I don't like people who pretend to be your friend only to spy on you." She hissed as she quickly dried herself off and pulled her dress over her head. She was shocked to see Legolas stepping out of the water as also. He wordlessly pulled his clothes on, leaving them damp and clingy. Then he took her arm and walked with her towards the city.

"Come on," Haldir said as he watched them leave. "You took it wrong."

Neither looked back.

After they were a good distance away from the pond, Legolas released her arm and stopped walking.

"That was wrong for Haldir to say." He stated. "Are you alright?"

"I am now," Katie admitted with a small smile. "Thank you for coming with me." It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.

"That is what friends do," Legolas said quietly. He looked semi-embarrassed. "We are friends are we not?"

Katie looked up into his pale blue eyes and felt the walls around her heart crumble into dust. "Of course we are," she whispered. _'Of course we are.'_

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A/N: I am so, so, SO sorry for the long wait. You would never believe if I told you all my reasons why I couldn't update. Plus, on top of it all, this was probably the hardest chapter I've had to write. I didn't know where to draw the line at Haldir and where to cross it. It is nice to have free rein, but I'm afraid many people won't like what I've done with him. Let me know.

Katie-sue


	26. Chapter 26: Private Goodbyes

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 26: Private Goodbyes**

Two days later at breakfast, Aragorn announced the news everyone had been dreading- they were leaving Caras Galadhon.

"Pack you things and say your goodbyes. We will meet back here in one hour," the ranger stated, dismissing them.

Katie walked back to her room heavy-heartedly. She knew she would miss Lothlórien- the beautiful trees and people. And Haldir. He had come to her room yesterday to apologize for his behavior, and Katie readily forgave him. She knew how short his time on Middle Earth was.

"Now it's time to move on," she muttered to herself as she reached her room. 'I'm even going to miss my room,' she realized. Even though it was three or four stories off the ground. It was funny how fast one could get use to things like that. Now they were to leave, but deep inside Katie knew it must be done. The group had to continue on their journey. She just wasn't looking forward to the next step- the breaking of the Fellowship.

Just then, Haldir entered her room, carrying a package in his arms.

"I am traveling with your group to help load the boats, but I wanted to see you first," he declared. Then he handed her the gift he carried.

"It is from the Lady Galadriel," he explained as she opened it.

Inside the package was a pair of green tights and a slightly darker shirt. Katie held the clothes up to show Haldir- fascinated by the beautiful garments.

"Try them on," Haldir urged.

She hurried to the bathroom and changed clothes, amazed at how well the new ones fit. Like they were made just for her. She walked out to show Haldir, and was surprised to find Legolas there, as well. He looked up as she walked out, his eyes widening slightly as he took in her new outfit.

""Much better than your previous traveling clothes," Haldir said with a smile.

Katie punched him lightly on the shoulder. "There was nothing wrong with my other clothes," she said defensively.

"They were a little big…" Legolas said softly, a faint laugh evident in his voice.

Katie turned around and smacked him, too.

Legolas just smiled his million-dollar smile at her, saying nothing.

"They are a bit nicer," Katie admitted as she looked in the mirror at herself. Then, the reason Legolas was there hit her.

"It's time to go," she stated. Legolas nodded.

"I came to get you," he explained. He looked from her to Haldir, then back again. "I will give you two a minute to say your goodbyes privately."

He quickly walked out the door, shutting it hard behind him. Katie turned to Haldir, noting the amused smirk on his face.

"Don't even say it," she warned.

Haldir just threw his arms around her tightly. "I'll miss you," he said seriously.

Katie hugged him back. "I guess I'll miss you too," she growled playfully.

He pulled back and kissed her cheek softly. "Good luck with your prince," he whispered.

Katie scowled. "He's not my prince," she reminded him.

"Not yet," Haldir grinned, "but soon."

Katie just shook her head and grabbed her bag. "I guess it's time to go," she muttered reluctantly.

She looked around the room one last time. "I am going to miss this place," she whispered truthfully.

Haldir just shot her a kind smile and led her to the door. "I'll see you at the boat," he said as they walked out the door.

Legolas walked up to them and took her arm. "We'll see you there," he bid Haldir as he walked away.

Legolas led her down the hall in silence, thinking about the previous meeting between Pernia, Haldir, Katie, and himself. He wanted to tell Katie he felt nothing for Pernia but was afraid of her response.

'_How does she feel about Haldir?'_ he wondered as they climbed down some stairs.

He was still trying to think of something to say when Pernia appeared.

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. It was obvious that the lady elf had sought him out.

"Hello," she purred, batting her eyes at Legolas. "Are you leaving now?" she asked innocently, ignoring Katie.

"Yes," he answered in a hard voice. "We must continue on."

"Oh! Do be careful," Pernia said dramatically and grabbed his arm.

Katie pulled away and looked at him with a smirk.

"I'll leave you two to say your goodbyes privately," she stated and walked away.

"When will you return to Lothlórien, Prince?" she heard Pernia ask as she left.

Katie wanted to scream in frustration - instead she quickly walked to where the group waited. They sat there talking until Legolas appeared several minutes later. After he endured a few teasing comments from Gimli they started walking towards the river.

They walked for what seemed like hours until finally the river came into view. The water banked three long canoes and a few of the elves – including Haldir – were already loading them.

Aragorn turned to the group. "Merry and Pippin - you will ride with Boromir in one boat," he stated. "I will travel with Frodo and Sam," he turned to Katie. "You will ride with Legolas and Gimli," he added.

'_In case I was too dumb to figure it out on my own,'_ Katie thought with a smile.

"Everyone needs to put their belongings into their own boats," he commanded. "You will be in charge of your own possessions so do not lose them," he added and then walked away to help the elves.

Everyone followed the ranger and began to load the boats.

Katie threw her backpack into her assigned canoe with a heavy sigh. She wasn't looking forward to hearing Gimli's teasing comments. _'Especially since Legolas will be riding with us,'_ she thought with a frown.

Just then, Legolas walked up and bent over to place some bags into their canoe. He looked over at her as he stood back up.

"What's the matter?" he asked with a little grin. "Afraid of water as well?" He chuckled as she scowled at him.

"Oh shove it up your ass!" she growled before she walked away.

She smiled as she walked over to get more bags, knowing that she had shocked him. _'Maybe that'll teach him not to be a smart ass,'_ she thought with a grin.

'_But who taught him how?'_ a tiny voice in her head asked.

Katie ignored it and kept working.

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A/N: Alright, that's officially the end of the chapter. Look for another one coming soon.

Katie-sue


	27. Chapter 27: Talk with the LadyLembas

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 27: Talk with the Lady/ Lembas**

On her fifth trip back to the boats, Galadriel approached her.

"Walk with me," she said smiling.

Katie put the pack she was carrying down and followed the lady into the woods. After they were a good distance away from the others, Galadriel stopped walking and turned to her.

"I wanted to apologize about the last time we talked," the lady said quietly. "I understand that I overwhelmed you with too much information at once."

Katie felt her eyes widen with surprise. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting but it wasn't an apology.

"That's okay," she muttered. "I was wrong to get so upset."

Galadriel studied her curiously. "Do you now believe what I told you?" she asked softly.

Katie sighed. She had been thinking a lot about the lady's words and had decided she was telling the truth. There were too many signs indicating she was an elf to prove otherwise.

"Yes, I believe you," she whispered.

"Have you noticed any changes since you've come to Middle Earth?" Galadriel asked, practically reading her mind.

"Yes…" Katie admitted reluctantly.

She thought about all the changes that had taken place. Her hair was straighter and longer, her skin smoother. The scars on her body had all but disappeared. Her hearing was better and she noticed her eyesight was improving.

All little signs she was slowly becoming an elf.

"The longer you are in Middle Earth, the more changes you will notice," Galadriel stated, reading her thoughts. "In less than a few months you will become a complete elf. Until then you can get hurt and die as a human," She warned.

Galadriel was quiet for a minute, as if lost in thought.

Finally, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vile attached to a necklace.

"Keep this with you," Galadriel whispered, slipping it over her head. "Drink the liquid inside if you find yourself in a dire situation. I must warn you," she continued quietly, "that by drinking this you will turn completely into an elf almost immediately."

"Only do this if you must," she finished, after a long pause.

Katie smiled and thanked the woman politely.

"We should get back to the others," Galadriel said with a sudden smile.

Katie followed alongside the woman, thinking of what she had said. _'This means I will have to tell people I am an elf,'_ she realized with a frown. _'I'll wait as long as possible,'_ she decided.

"Will you come back to Lothlórien?" Galadriel asked, breaking her thoughts.

"I'd love to," Katie said truthfully. _'If I live through this,'_ she thought with a sigh.

"Never give up hope," Galadriel whispered as they neared the others.

Katie turned to look as her, their eyes meeting for a moment.

The lady's words echoed in her mind – _'Never give up hope. Never give up hope.'_

Galadriel just smiled a knowing smile and walked away. Katie stood there a moment, staring after her in amazement.

Finally, she picked up her bag and took it over to the canoes. She saw Pippin sitting in one of the boats eating something.

"What do you have there?" she asked curiously.

Pippin looked up guiltily at her, his mouth stuffed with food.

"Some kind of cake," he answered once he swallowed. "Want one?" he asked, handing her a square, flat bread looking thing.

Katie shrugged and took a small bite. A sweet buttery taste filled her mouth.

"Mmm," she moaned as she stuffed the rest in her mouth. "That was delicious," she muttered as Merry walked over and joined them.

"What are you two doing?" he asked curiously.

Katie smiled. "Taking a break," she said innocently.

Just then, Legolas walked up to their canoe carrying several small packs. He shot them a curious look as he stepped half way into their boat and began loading the bags.

Katie watched as he pulled one of the little cakes from a pack and held it up to inspect.

"Lembas," he declared. "Elfish whey bread."

He raised the cake to his mouth and took a little bite. "One small bite could fill the stomach of a grown man," he stated with a smile.

Katie sat there silently, feeling mortified.

Both hobbits smiled and nodded but didn't comment.

Legolas loaded the last of the bags into the canoe and shot her a devilish little grin before walking away.

'_He knows we ate the lembas_,' Katie realized as she watched him leave.

Merry moved up next to Pippin. "How many did you eat?" he asked curiously.

"Four," Pippin admitted, suddenly looking very full.

Katie chuckled softly. At least she had only eaten one and she already felt stuffed._ 'Imagine eating four!'_ she thought with a laugh.

She stood up and went back to work, leaving the hobbits sitting in the canoe.


	28. Chapter 28: Goodbye

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 28: Goodbye**

After all the bags were packed, and weapons loaded into the boats, the fellowship lined up to say their goodbyes. Katie stood next to Legolas and Pippin as Celeborn and several other elves – including Haldir – approached them.

Haldir stood directly in front of her and wrapped a grey cloak around her shoulders. He fastened it in the front with a beautiful leaf broach.

"Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people," Celeborn stated after each of the fellowship was cloaked. "May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes," he added, giving Boromir a hard look.

The man turned and walked away, looking frazzled. Aragorn followed him, leaving the rest of the group standing there.

They talked quietly with the elves for a minute until Galadriel appeared and approached them.

She walked up to Legolas and handed him a long, pale bow. "My gift for you, Legolas, is a bow of the Galadhim," she stated, "worthy of the skill of our woodland kin."

Legolas took the bow and studied it in awe. The elf behind her handed him a new quiver and some more arrows.

Galadriel then walked to Merry and Pippin, handing them both small knifes. "These are the daggers of the Noldorin," she stated as they studied the gifts. "They have already seen service in war," she added.

Then she turned to Sam. "And for you Samwise Gamgee, elven rope made of hithlain," she declared handing him the thin cord.

"Thank you my lady," Sam said politely, then cast a glance at Merry and Pippin. "Have you run out of those nice shiny daggers?" he asked softly.

Galadriel just smiled and made her way down the line to Katie. She handed her a beautiful leather belt with an attached holster. "I wouldn't want you to rid an elf of his weapons," she smiled as she presented Katie with a long elven sword.

Katie muttered a thank you as she studied the handcrafted weapon. A detailed design of a rose had been engraved into the sword all the way up to the light silver handle.

She glanced over at Legolas, whom was intensely studying his new bow. Katie couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him. She walked over to him slowly, trying to hide her grin. "That's a nice new bow you have there," she said quietly.

Legolas looked up at her and smiled kindly. "What was your gift from the Lady?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, just a belt," she said nonchalantly, suppressing the urge to smile. "I must say Legolas, that is an awfully nice _new_ weapon you have there," she repeated slowly, making sure to emphasize the word 'new.'

Legolas shot her a puzzled look. Then realization dawned in his clear blue eyes as he recalled their deal. His face twisted into a frown

"You knew!" he hissed accusingly.

Katie just shrugged her shoulders. "Of course I did."

His frown deepened and he was quiet for a long time.

"Fine. I will give you my old weapons," he muttered finally.

"A deal's a deal," Katie said sweetly and chuckled at his sour expression. "I can't wait to try out my new knives," she added softly and began to walk away.

"Wait a minute," Legolas growled, grabbing her arm. "Our deal did not mention anything about my knives."

Katie tried to look as serious as possible. "Yes it did," she stated matter-of-factly.

"You did not specify which weapons you would get," he pointed out.

"I am specifying now," she shot back.

Legolas was beginning to look angry. "Are you really going to take my knives?" he asked her incredulously. "What will I use if I run out of arrows?" He sounded a little desperate.

"Not my problem."

A look of disbelief crossed Legolas' handsome face.

Katie couldn't help but smile. "I'm joking," she laughed. "I wouldn't take your weapons away from you. Besides, Galadriel gave me a new sword and holster," she added.

Legolas' disbelief turned to relief, then annoyance. "You were purposely teasing me," he growled, trying to look mad.

Katie threw her head back and laughed. "Of course I was! I had you going there for a minute too," she chuckled.

Legolas glanced at his feet sheepishly. "Maybe," he muttered.

Then he looked up and met her gaze. "I will give you my weapons if you wish," he stated truthfully.

"It's not necessary."

"We did have a deal," Legolas pointed out.

Katie thought about it for a minute. Finally, she decided a bargain was in order.

"How about you keep your old bow here, in Lothlórien. Just promise me after this war is over, you'll teach me how to use it."

Legolas pretended to consider her proposition. "Alright," he agreed finally, giving her a breathtaking smile.

Katie looked deep into his blue eyes and felt lost. She couldn't help but smile back. They stood there for a minute, staring silently into each others eyes. Haldir walked up to them and spoke, breaking their trance.

"It is time," he stated, clasping Legolas' shoulder.

Legolas turned to Haldir, looking slightly embarrassed. "Namaarie Haldir," he said softly. (Farewell)

"Sana malia en he," Haldir told him quietly and let go of his shoulder. (Take care of her)

"Amin havva," Legolas whispered. (I will)

Haldir turned to Katie and grabbed her hand. "Farewell, Lady Katherine," he said as he kissed it softly.

Katie threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. "I'll see you soon," she promised.

Haldir nodded once. "Be careful," he warned. "There are many orcs near."

"We will," Katie assured him. "Legolas will keep me safe," she added without really thinking.

"I'm sure he will," Haldir muttered teasingly.

Then he turned and walked away with one last goodbye.

"Goodbye Haldir," Katie whispered as she watched him go. She knew the next time she would see him would be at Helms Deep. _'Where he will die,'_ she thought sadly.

Legolas touched her arm, breaking her thoughts.

"We must go," he said quietly. "The others are waiting."

Katie followed him towards the boats, the feeling of dread heavy in her heart.

"_Never give up hope_," Galadriel's voice echoed in her mind.

Katie decided that she wouldn't, like Galadriel had said, "even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

They reached the canoes where Gimli was already seated in front, grumbling to himself. Legolas stepped into the back of their boat and reached up for her hand. He clasped it tightly and helped her into the small canoe. His other hand pressed against the small of her back, guiding her to her seat. Legolas made sure she was sitting and the boat was steady before he released her. He sat back in his seat and picked up one of the long oars.

"There is no need for you to row," he told her softly as she reached for the other one. He slid the leaf-shaped oar into the water and pushed off, following Aragorn's example.

Katie looked around at the elves on the shore and sighed. _'Leaving Lothlórien is harder than I imagined it would be,'_ she realized.

She spied Galadriel on the banks, looking lovely as always. The lady raised a hand in farewell. Katie smiled and returned the gesture in reply. Then she turned around and faced forward once again.


	29. Chapter 29: Up the River

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 29: Up the River**

It was a long time before anyone spoke.

"I have taken my worst wound at this parting…" Gimli growled, finally breaking the silence, "having looked my last upon that which is fairest."

He sighed heavily. "Henceforth, I will call nothing fair, less it be her gift to me," he said sadly.

Legolas pushed the oar silently through the water as he followed Aragorn's boat down the river. "What was her gift?" he asked curiously.

"I asked her for one hair from her golden head…" Gimli whispered. "She gave me three."

Katie patted him on the back softly – she knew how he felt.

"I am sorry to be leaving also," she muttered honestly. "I'm not looking forward to what happens next," she added without thinking.

Gimli turned to look at her sharply, rocking the boat as he did so. "So you think you know what is going to happen, do you?" he growled, sounding unconvinced.

"You should not doubt her word," Legolas spoke quietly from behind them.

Katie turned to stare at him, eyes wide with shock.

"I have come to believe everything she predicts," he added with a slight smile.

"Why thank you, Legolas," she said boastfully. "I'm glad one person in this boat knows the truth when they hear it."

Gimli frowned. "Maybe I do not believe everything I hear simply because a pretty lady says it," he argued.

Katie let out a startled laugh. "I think Legolas is a bit more rational than that…I'm surprised he believes _anything_ I say at all," she added with a grin.

"The elf is following his heart," Gimli muttered. "All rational thoughts are forgotten when love is involved."

Katie dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Nonsense," she stated. "You are still thinking rational and I saw the way you were staring at Galadriel."

She heard Legolas chuckle as the dwarf blushed crimson.

"The banks are lovely this time of year," Gimli said with a frown, obviously trying to change the subject.

"What is the matter, dwarf?" Legolas asked with a laugh.

Gimli ignored him and the three of them sat in silence for a while.

Katie shifted in the small boat, trying to get comfortable. She sat sideways, her back against the edge of the canoe. She watched Legolas as he slid the oar through the water gracefully. He was staring at the tree line with a strange look on his face. After a moment, he turned to her.

"What _is_ going to happen?" he asked, looking anxious.

Katie closed her eyes and sighed heavily, remembering the last part of the movie. "The fellowship will break," she whispered without opening her eyes.

"What are you talking about!" Gimli huffed. "That is nonsense!"

"Be quiet!" Legolas ordered him sternly. He looked at Katie, studying her intently. "Is that true?"

When she didn't answer, he reached out and gently caressed her cheek with his fingertips.

Katie's eyes flew open at his touch, her breath caught in her throat.

"Yes," she whispered.

"When?" Legolas demanded, pulling his hand back.

"Soon," was all she would say.

Nobody spoke for the rest of the day.

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That night, the fellowship camped on the banks of the river. After they had eaten dinner, the group prepared for bed.

Katie noticed Boromir sitting near the shore by himself, and decided to join him. They talked quietly about his home for a while. He had been much nicer to her since she saved his life in Moria. She knew he was supposed to die soon and wondered if there was anyway she could save him.

Suddenly, he got up and walked towards the river. Katie followed him, curious about his sudden movement. Boromir hid behind a large rock and peered out into the darkness.

"What is it?" Katie asked him softly, looking over his shoulder.

"Gollum," Aragorn answered, walking up behind them. "He has tracked us since Moria."

Katie spied the little creature, hiding behind a floating log.

"I had hoped we would lose him on the river," Aragorn said quietly, "but he's too clever a waterman."

Boromir turned to look at the ranger. "And if he alerts the enemy to our whereabouts, it'll make the crossing even more dangerous," he pointed out.

He walked towards Aragorn, ignoring Katie. "Minas Tirith is the safer road," he whispered. "You know that."

Aragorn looked at him impatiently as he continued.

"From there we can regroup," Boromir pleaded. "Strike out for Mordor from a place of strength!"

"There is no strength in Gondor that can avail us," Aragorn argued.

"You were quick enough to trust the elves," Boromir said, raising his voice. "Have you so little faith in your own people? Yes, there is weakness, there is frailty," he admitted, "but there is courage also and honor to be found in men. But you will not see that," he finished.

Aragorn turned and started to walk away.

Boromir reached out and grabbed him. "You are afraid!" he shouted at the ranger.

"I will not lead the ring within 100 leagues of your city," Aragorn hissed meanly.

Katie stepped between the two men, separating them. "That's enough!" she snapped.

Legolas, whom had been listening to the argument from his bed, rose to his feet and walked over to them.

Katie looked from him to Boromir and then Aragorn.

"You," she hissed, pointing at Aragorn, "Should not be so rude! And you," she turned to point at Boromir, 'need to trust Aragorn's judgment – he is the leader of this group."

All three men stared at her incredulously.

"Come Katie," Legolas said quietly, grabbing her arm. "Let us leave them to talk."

Katie frowned at both of the men as she allowed Legolas to lead her away. Once they were out of earshot, he stopped and faced her, looking perturbed.

"You should not involve yourself in their affairs," he said coldly.

Katie shot him a dirty look. "And you should not involve yourself in mine," she growled.

Legolas let go of her arm and turned away. "I just do not want to see you anger anyone," he said quietly.

Katie reached out and touched his arm gently. "You mean Boromir?"

Legolas looked down at her hand then up at her face.

"Yes," he admitted truthfully.

"You do not have to worry about Boromir," Katie whispered, "he will not hurt me."

Legolas stared at her for a minute, looking unsure. Finally, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We'd better get back to the group," he said, leading her towards the others.

Once there, Katie walked to her bed and lay down. She tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. After a while, she fell into a deep sleep and dreamt of Lothlórien.

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	30. Chapter 30: In The Woods

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 30: In the Woods**

The next day, after they had eaten a light breakfast, the fellowship continued up the river. Legolas rowed, once again, insisting that Gimli and Katie not tire themselves. The three of them sat in silence, as tension and dread filled their hearts.

Katie thought about what was going to happen for perhaps the hundredth time that day.

She formed plan after plan in her mind, trying to conceive a way to save Boromir. One thing was certain; she had decided that she _would_ try to save the man, no matter the cost.

'_I stood by and did nothing while Gandalf died. I will not let that happen again_,' she decided.

She turned and cast a glance at Legolas. The elf was busy studying the rocky cliffs, searching for anything amiss.

He didn't notice her gaze, and Katie took the opportunity to study him, long and hard. He looked worried, a small frown pulling his lips.

This did nothing to deter his beauty, nor Katie's notice of how handsome he was.

Her eyes scanned his face, memorizing every curve, every line.

How badly she wanted to tell him about Boromir's death. About how the fellowship would break. However, she realized that if she did, she would compromise everyone's fate.

Gimli gasped, causing both her and Legolas to snap back to attention.

Katie faced the front, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She prayed Legolas hadn't noticed her staring; _'Ogling'_ is more like it, she scolded herself.

"The Aragrornath", whispered Gimli, explaining his gasp.

Katie looked up and sucked in a breath.

Giant statues of two men stood in the distance. Both had a large hand extended in warning.

"A warning for what," she muttered to herself.

"I do not know," whispered Legolas from behind her.

The canoes approached the massive statues, and Katie craned her neck to look up at them as they slid under, feeling awestruck.

"How is this so called breaking of the fellowship going to happen?" Gimli asked, after the statues were a good distance behind them.

Katie looked at the dwarf, wishing she could tell him the truth. "You'll find out soon enough."

A touch on the arm startled her, making her jump. She turned around slowly, knowing what the elf wanted.

Legolas studied her for a moment through narrowed eyes.

"What is going to happen?" he whispered, keeping his voice low enough so that Gimli could not hear.

Katie opened her mouth but no words came out. She wasn't sure if this was a result of fear or his piercing blue eyes.

He leaned towards her, bringing his face within inches of hers.

"Can you not tell me, or will you not tell me?" he asked softly.

"I can't," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Legolas lifted his hand to touch her face but pulled it back in the split-second before his fingers brushed her cheek.

He sat back in his seat and quickly began to row again.

Katie sat there, unable to do anything but blink as she watched him guide the boat towards the falls. He seemed to be looking everywhere except at her.

Before they reached the roaring waterfall, the group turned the boats to dock them onto the shore. Legolas slid their canoe up the bank and sat his oar down as everyone slowly piled out of the boats, legs sore from sitting too long.

The hobbits quickly began gathering some sticks to make a small fire.

Katie stood by a large tree at the edge of the banks, keeping her eye on Frodo.

"I will go and get more firewood," he stated in a low melancholy voice.

Apparently, no one except Katie seemed to notice the depression dripping in his words.

"Alright," Aragorn said with a dismissive nod as he unloaded some of their supplies. He turned to Pippin, "Go and help him," he ordered.

Katie watched as both hobbits walked into the woods, literally biting her lip to keep from yelling out a warning.

She saw something move out of the corner of her eye and turned just in time to see Boromir slid silently into the woods after Frodo.

Katie looked around desperately, yet no one save her seemed to notice his departure.

Gimli and Merry were tending the fire, while Sam slept propped up against a rock.

Aragorn continued to unload their supplies, obviously lost in his own thoughts.

Legolas was busy eyeing the trees, as if they were going to come alive and attack him.

Katie felt panic rising up, hot and thick in her chest.

'_I have to find Frodo,'_ she decided, absentmindedly reaching down to clutch the handle of her sword. She quietly slipped into the trees, following Frodo's path. Then she began to run.

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Katie sprinted through the forest, afraid that she would be too late to stop Boromir. Her eyes scanned the woods for any sign of them, without luck. She continued to run, dodging trees and stumbling over roots. Every moment that passed, she felt panic seething deeper into her heart.

Finally, she ground to a stop, unable to find the strength to run anymore. She bent over with her hands on her thighs, panting loudly in exhaustion.

She looked around searching for a sign, when everything became excruciatingly clear.

"I can't stop this!" she realized in dismay.

"Why have I been stupid enough to try," she wondered softly.

Just then, another realization hit her. She was alone. All alone in a forest filled with orcs.

Panic fluttered inside her. Suddenly, she wasn't so exhausted. She began to run in what she hoped was the direction of the boats. Just then, a huge figure stepped out from behind a tree and stood directly in her path.

Katie felt her eyes widen in horror as she recognized the monster.

A Ukhai.

The beast took a step towards her and Katie did the first thing she could think of. She closed her eyes and screamed.

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Legolas used his extraordinary vision to scan the woods, searching for any trace of Katie. He was also looking for Frodo, but decided to find the woman first. Suddenly, a blood-curling scream echoed throughout the trees, coming from about a half mile west. It was her. His heart dropped to the ground.

He began running as fast as he could towards the scream, knowing she was in trouble.

'_I cannot let her die,' _he thought desperately as he dodged through the trees.

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	31. Chapter 31: ORCS

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 31: ORCS**

Katie turned just in time to see the creature grab for her. She fought the urge to scream again, and instead quickly drew her sword and swung.

The blade sliced its chest, but was not fatal. The orc glared at her, hatred shining in its beady eyes. It charged at her again, and Katie swung with all her might, beheading the ugly creature. Hot, thick blood splattered her face and she quickly wiped it away, feeling nauseous.

She heard a twig snap behind her and turned just in time to see another orc approaching. She ducked quickly as it made a swipe at her. The monster stumbled and she used the opportunity to stab it as hard as she could in the chest, killing it.

Katie looked around frantically as four more orcs approached.

'I'm going to die,' she thought panicked, clutching her sword tightly.

Then, like an answer to her unspoken prayers, Legolas appeared at the top of the hill. He quickly readied his bow and took out the orc closest to her. Within seconds, all four monsters lay dead on the ground.

He hurried over to where she still stood open-mouthed, and grabbed her rather forcefully by the arm. "Why did you run off?" he demanded in an angry voice. "These woods are full of orcs."

Katie looked up into his blue eyes. "You don't say," she muttered sarcastically.

Legolas tightened his grip on her arm and shook her roughly. "Have you any idea what would have happened to you had I not shown up?" he asked, eyes flashing wildly.

Katie tried to pull away, but he held her effortlessly.

"They would have killed you," he continued darkly, "but not before they had tortured you, beat you, and raped you."

He let go of her arm and took a step back.

It was the closest she had ever seen him come to losing his temper. Katie watched in fascination as he visably regained his composure.

"Are you hurt?" he asked with a sigh, laying a hand gently on her shoulder.

Katie pulled away from his touch, all too aware of the feelings it invoked. Pain not being on of them.

"Shouldn't we find the others?" she said curtly.

Legolas nodded once, his emotionless mask firmly back in place.

"Stay close to me," he ordered as he readied his bow, and ran towards the sounds of battle.

Katie followed him, clutching her knife tightly in her hand. The fight came into view, and she spied Gimli to her left, using his axe to kill the monsters.

"Aragorn! Go!" Legolas shouted to the ranger.

Aragorn tried to run away but was halted by some uk-hai. Katie watched in fascination as Legolas unholstered his knifes and skillfully began slicing through the orcs.

'He really is good at everything,' she realized in awe. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by an onslaught of the foul creatures.

She fought as hard as she could, killing every monster that threatened her. 'They're not fighting back,' she realized as another one fell to the dirt. She looked around. They were fighting Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn. Everyone but her.

That's when the truth finally dawned on her. "They have orders not to kill me," she realized aloud.

She looked over at Legolas. He was busy expertly shooting orc after orc with his bow. She ran up behind him and grabbed his arm as he killed one that was threatening Aragorn.

He turned and looked down at her. "What is wrong?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

Katie looked up into his handsome, blood-splattered face and felt her stomach flip.

"I…they will not fight me," she whispered, feeling somewhat helpless.

Legolas' eyes narrowed as he lowered his head towards hers. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

"I-I…I think they have orders not to kill me," she said softly. "I think they are suppose to capture me."

Legolas reached out and grabbed her arm. "NO!" he said firmly. "I will not –"

His words were interrupted by a horn sounding from across the woods.

He turned to look. "The horn of Gondor," he stated.

"Boromir!" Aragorn cried out, running towards the sound.

Legolas was forced to release her as Aragorn ran between them.

Katie looked up and met his clear blue eyes. "I must go too," she whispered.

"No!" Legolas yelled, grabbing for her arm.

Katie pulled away quickly, barely avoiding his grasp, and began running down the hill. "I have to try and save him," she yelled over her shoulder.

Legolas just stood there, stunned. "Wait!" he cried out as he watched her dodge through the trees.

He tried to run after her, but was stopped by a group of smelly uk-hai.

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	32. Chapter 32: It Has All Been In Vain

**A Stranger In The Woods**

**Chapter 32: It Has All Been In Vain**

**LAST CHAPTER: UPDATED**

Katie ran until she thought her lungs would explode. She wanted to slow down but knew that if she did, Boromir would surely die.

'_I must save him_,' she thought wildly.

Just then, the horn sounded for the third time, much closer. Katie ran towards the sound, clutching her sword firmly in her hand. She slowed to a walk as she heard the cries of battle.

'_That's Merry and Pippin_,' she realized. '_This is it_.'

She quickly made her way through the thick brush and stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes took in the sight before her.

Boromir was fighting off some orcs, two arrows sticking from his chest. Just then, the leader of the monsters fired again, bringing the man to his knees.

Katie watched as Merry and Pippin were captured and drug away.

"No!" she cried out, despair clutching her heart.

Boromir looked over at her and caught her eye as he knelt there amid the fleeing creatures, struggling for a breath. He opened his mouth to speak but Katie couldn't make out his words.

"Watch out!" he cried, just as she heard a noise from behind her.

Before she could register his words, pain shot through her head and she fell into darkness.

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Legolas ran as quickly as he could, jumping over fallen orcs in his path. He came to a clearing filled with the dead creatures and slowed to a cautious walk.

He spied Aragorn kneeling over a fallen body. '_Boromir!_' he realized, looking around helplessly.

He heard Gimli's heavy footsteps behind him but did not turn. A glimmer to his right caught his eye and he walked over to it.

'_Katie's sword_,' he realized, his heart consumed with fear, and for a long time he could not move.

Then with a sigh, he reached down to pick up the sword and stood to face Aragorn.

"They will look for his coming from the White tower," the ranger whispered, "but he will not return."

He turned to them, not bothering to hide his tears. "They have taken Merry, Pippin, and Katie," he stated softly.

"What about Frodo and Sam?" Gimli asked roughly.

"I have let them go," Aragorn whispered.

The dwarf walked towards him, pain evident in his features. "Then it has all been in vain," he growled. "Katie was right. The fellowship has broken."

"Not if we hold true to each other," Aragorn said passionately. "We will send Boromir to his home. Then we will find our friends."

He walked up to Legolas and clasped his shoulder tightly. "We will not abandon them to torture and death," he promised. "Not while we have strength left."

Aragorn turned and walked over to Boromir. The three of them carried him to the banks and laid him in a canoe. They placed his sword in his hands and sent him over the falls.

Aragorn waited until the boat was no longer in sight, then he turned to Legolas and Gimli.

"Leave all that can be spared behind," he ordered. "We travel light."

A small grin pulled at his lips. "Let's hunt some orc!" he hissed and began running up the hill.

Legolas glanced down at Gimli.

"Yes!" the dwarf cried with a determined growl and began running up the hill after Aragorn.

Legolas watched him go, his mind racing. '_How far ahead where the orcs_?' he wondered. '_What would they do to Katie_? _Harm her? What did they want her for_?'

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and started after Gimli and Aragorn.

All he knew was that he had to find her. '_I will find her_,' he assured himself. '_And I will kill the orcs that took her_,' he thought bitterly.

He smiled a grim smile, feeling determined.

The three of them ran as fast as their feet would carry them, following the herd of orcs.

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A/N:

THE SEQUEL TO THIS STORY IS UP NOW "A Friend Among Enemies"

LOOK FOR IT


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